Al Qaeda Arms Traced to Saudi National Guard

Washington Post Foreign Service ^ | May 19, 2003 | Peter Finn

[jern]

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 18 -- Saudi authorities are investigating suspected illegal arms sales by members of the country's national guard to al Qaeda operatives in the country, U.S. and Saudi officials said.

The weapons were seized in a May 6 raid on an al Qaeda safe house and were traced to national guard stockpiles, the U.S. and Saudi sources said.

The Saudi interior minister said today that officials have identified three of the suicide bombers involved in attacks last week on four residential compounds in Riyadh, which led to the deaths of 34 people, including eight Americans. He said they were part of a group of 19 people wanted in connection with the May 6 raid.

[Congressman Billybob]

So some members of the House of Saud are up to their dress-covered butts in terrorism. This is no surprise. But they have to choose sides NOW. Otherwise, the House of Saud is going to find itself living on the French Riviera, and somebody else will be running Saudi Arabia.

Never meind expecting them to be a "reliable ally for the United States." All we need from them is that they do a competent job of protecting their own jobs. If they do that, finally, they will serve our purposes.

The one advantage of the Saudis is this: If they DO get cracking on Al Qaeda and various other forms of terrorists, they can accomplish two critical tasks. They can cut off the money, and cut off the heads. Both of these are desirable outcomes.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, now up FR, "News Unfit to Print."

[philetus]

America's overwhelming and quick victory in Afghanistan and President Bush's determined "war against international (Islamic) terrorism" changed the political environment in the Persian Gulf and the Arab-Muslim world, in general. Clearly, extreme militant Islamic fundamentalism (jihad) is still very much alive. Yet, the Saudi rulers under the leadership of ultra-conservative Crown Prince Abdallah finally realize that they can no longer afford to try to gain legitimacy by closing their eyes to the support of their countrymen for international (Islamic) terrorism, which eventually seeks their own overthrow. Indeed, Washington has also made it clear that it would no longer tolerate the Saudi double game.

Thus, Prince Abdallah has stopped Saudi philanthropists from funding al-Qa'ida and other militant fundamentalist organizations. He has also requested the Saudi ulama leadership to reduce their incitement against America and the West, in general. Yet, simultaneously, he declared that Saudi Arabia would not cooperate with the U.S. in an attack on Iraq, and that America would not be allowed to use Saudi bases and facilities in an operation against Saddam Hussein's regime. Abdallah also requested that Washington reduce its presence in the kingdom.

Clearly, the Saudi regime is ready to go along with gentle American "prodding" up to a point (oil and limited use of bases). However, in the face of the erosion in the support base for the regime of the House of Saud, widespread criticism of its cooperation with the U.S. that "supports" Israel, and increasing terrorist acts in the kingdom, Riyadh cannot go much farther in accommodating the U.S. without endangering itself.

* * *
Mordechai Abir is a Fellow of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and Professor (Emeritus) of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

I'm SHOCKED! SHOCKED!

"Illegal weapons transfers in my Mosque? I'm Scocked. Shocked! Better round up the usual suspects.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

"Illegal weapons transfers in my Mosque? I'm Shocked. Shocked! Better round up the usual suspects."

...correcting the usual typos. :O)

[Gabrielle Reilly]

Ping. Read later.

[FreeReign]

... I know you're not going to believe this, but in my experience in the Kingdom, and is it is fairly extensive, I very often found the exact opposite to be true. Many of the terrorists are very wealthy, e.g. Osama bin Laden, or the educated sons of wealthy families.

OBL, who was exiled from the Kingdom and others who you don't name. That is your "extensive" experience in S.A. at finding wealthy terorists?

Bottom line: a lot of Saudis are cross-eyed, crazy as coots, need dialysis, are filthy rich, and very apt to be involved in terrorist activity

Bottom line -- not proven.

[Publicus]

Another group of nineteen, eh? Hmmm...

And four vehicles...?

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

This outrage calls for the ULTIMATE sacrifice to to make Arabia safe! Send in the Schumer/Feinstein/Brady clowns!
That'll teach em!

[Publicus]

No. Relations between the US and Saudi governments are in fact VERY tight- more closer in fact than is generally known. Sure, they become publicly skittish sometimes but you can be sure they are not fooling around. My worry is that they are so pissed off for the embarassment and harm this most recent act has caused to them, they will find the suspects and prompty torture and behead them before we get the chance to really interrogate them for info.

[Publicus]

" the Mullahs know that if they allow their people access to western ways, they will lose their power over the people, so they teach the hatred."

...JUST like American demonrats- coveting positions to control American citizens either stealing their wealth via overtaxation or restricting their activities via regulation or seeking to strip them of their right to protect themselves and their loved one via unconsitutional gun control "laws".

[TheDon]

Has Al Quaeda attacked inside SA before? Is this a change? I thought the SA's paid AQ to leave them alone.

One thing you can say about the recent spat of attacks, they were not on American soil.

[blam]

"This is why the Saudis do not want the FBI to be part of the investigation. The FBI will find out that Saudi= Al Queda."

Bingo! About half of the 8,000 Saudi Princes will have to die before we get to the bottom of this.

[Travis McGee]

That is a FASCINATING observation! VERY interesting!

[Travis McGee]

No, the 'bottom line' is 'that is very worth considering and further examination.'

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

These Saudi bastards are just begging to be made an example of.

[We Happy Few]

Wouldn't you expect the ruling Saudi elites already to have a plan for exile (that is, abdication) when the lid blows off? Their financial assets surely have been offshore for decades, and one would expect them to make the most minimal investments of immobile capital in Saudi Arabia at this point, knowing that such assets will be lost.

My guess is that they would go to Switzerland. I doubt they would go to another Arab country.

[jrlc]

Not the religion of peace guys!!! How could it be???

[steveegg]

While official relations between the US and Saudi Arabia are quite tight, they're with a tiny fraction of the House of Saud, with the remainder of the monarchy, including some with significant but not decisive power, hating us.

[steveegg]

The problem is that the members of the House of Saud that are choosing sides are choosing the "against us" side, and they're more numerous than the portion of the House that would, if their control were greater, choose the "for us".

[Kenny Bunk]

FR, that was not a poor boys club on the 9/11 squad. For example, it is reasonably documented and consistent with my experience, too, that many wealthy Saudi boys go abroad for their education, and when they return, there is not a thing for them to do, except obey their fathers. They often fall prey to the many violent movements led by terroristic imams who compete for the market by trying to outdo each other in their horrible jihad-preaching.

As for the medical side of my post, during my years working in the kingdom, I knew many doctors and nurses, quite a few of them Saudis, who are struggling with the widespread problem of physical and mental birth defects, and other problems, like AIDS, every day.

Aids, BTW, is quite a problem (but swept under the rug) in the Kingdom, because many Saudi men of go on sex tours to various oriental places, coming home to infect the wives. It is absolutely true that many Saudis seem to act on the premise that once outside Wahabi territory, anything goes.

You do raise one vital cross-cultural taboo which I have impolitely violated: that is, one simply cannot judge Arab customs by western norms. In many ways, it is the flip-side of the planet. A paralell universe.

I do feel that we westerners should know a lot of this stuff now, which ordinarily would be none of our business, only because a significant portion of the Islamic world, Arab and non-Arab alike, are on a violent jihad which seeks our destruction. During some of my Saudi years, I lived in at Jedawel, where the bomb attack at the back gate left dead Americans. It is only a couple of miles from the main training school of the Mutawiyah or Religious Police. The religious police have a very efficient intelligence apparatus, and if they didn't do this, they most certainly know exactly who did.

Saudi Arabia is run more or less like Tony Soprano runs Northern New Jersey on TV. All power flows from the royal family down through 300 Princes of the Blood, and 3000+ other princelings, each of whom has his crew, his territory, his concessions among the foreign business community, and his particular piece of the action. There is a delicate balance which is always shifting betweeen the Royal Family, the Princes and their families,the Religious Police, The National Guard, their rivals in the Royal Army and Air Force, tribal sheiks, blackmailing terror groups, and hundreds of Imams.

When this place blows (not if) it will be very interesting indeed.