Saudi official blames Riyadh attacks on al Qaeda

CNN ^ | 11/9/03 | CNN

[stlnative]

Thanks for Washington Post link on Modern Ramadan in SA, from the WP article...

Saudi newspapers have special Ramadan pages that answer Muslims' questions on what is and is not permitted. One reader asked if he can kiss his wife during the day. Yes, he was told in Al Madina newspaper. Is swimming OK? asked another. Yes, as long as water is not swallowed.

I wonder if one of them forgot to ask...
Is ok to kill other muslims during Ramadan as long as it is done after dusk?

[stlnative]

Well security is fairly high, it is getting tougher for them to just walk or drive into a place, so now they have to force their way in to kill a bunch of people. The sniper was probably Al-Q and not a guard outside protecting the complex.

[Yaelle]

Is ok to kill other muslims during Ramadan as long as it is done after dusk?

Touche. Especially if they are helpless Muslim children asleep in their beds.

[stlnative]

09 Nov 2003 05:08:11 GMT
Bombed Riyadh compound seen as soft target

---

By Dominic Evans

RIYADH, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Relaxed security and its proximity to the homes of some members of the Saudi royal family made Riyadh's Muhaya compound an attractive target for suicide bombers, residents and diplomats said.

Suspected al Qaeda militants shot their way into the 200-villa complex with its mostly Arab residents on Sunday and detonated at least one car packed with explosives.

A Western diplomat said the compound could have appealed to the militants because it is near homes belonging to Interior Minister Prince Nayef and some other royals and is also close to the diplomatic quarter where most Western embassies are located.

"It could be that a group had a pre-arranged plan to carry out an attack and because of recent arrests acted quickly and chose a soft target. The security at the compound was not extensive," said the diplomat.

Suicide bombers used similar tactics in May to rip apart three compounds in the Saudi capital, killing 35 people -- nine Americans, other foreigners and Saudis.

Since then, barricades and security checkpoints block the gates of many compounds, and security forces have mounted a tough crackdown.

One of the owners of the Muhaya compound in western Riyadh, Khaled al-Muhaya, told the Al Riyadh daily security was watertight.

But a resident, who declined to be indentified, told Reuters he had complained about security arrangements four times since the May 12 attacks.

"Security is awful, it's pathetic," he said.

"SOFT TARGET"

One envoy said that in general, security measures for compounds housing non-Westerners tended to be more relaxed.

"It is fair to say that this was a soft target," said a senior Western diplomat. "Security is not extensive there like other facilities or the diplomatic compound which is nearby."

Saudi officials said at least two people were killed in the attack and more than 65 injured, but a Western diplomat estimated the death toll at between 20 and 30 people.

Saudi Arabia, birthplace of Islam, is battling a surge in Islamist violence believed to be linked to al Qaeda.

On Friday, the United States issued its second security warning on Saudi Arabia in almost as many weeks, saying terrorists were planning attacks in the kingdom. U.S. missions were shut in the kingdom on Saturday for a security review.

Saudi newspapers and residents said most of the compound residents were families of middle-class professionals from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinian territories who were attracted by Muhaya's reasonable rents.

One newspaper said most of the male residents were at a mosque performing special prayers for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan when the bombers struck, explaining the high number of casualties among women and children.

A Lebanese man, indentified as Wissam, told Al Riyadh he had picked the Muhaya because there were so many Arabs.

"I felt safe. But it seems the terrorists will spare no one, including Arabs and Muslims," he said.

http://www.alertnet.org/printable.htm?URL=/thenews/newsdesk/L0939722.htm

[Brimack34]

President George W. Bush to the world: CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW!!

[stlnative]

A Lebanese man, indentified as Wissam, told Al Riyadh he had picked the Muhaya because there were so many Arabs. "I felt safe. But it seems the terrorists will spare no one, including Arabs and Muslims," he said.

DING DING DING - We have WINNER! (someone who is finally learning NO ONE is safe from these TERRORISTS!)

[stlnative]

Blast was car bombing: security officer

November 9, 2003

The blast which rocked a residential compound in the Saudi capital Riyadh was the result of a suicide car bombing, a security officer at the scene told AFP today.

"A car laden with explosives succeeded in penetrating the fortified compound surrounded by cement blocks," the officer said, requesting anonymity.

"The car blew up inside the compound," he added, but he could not tell if one suicide bomber or more were involved.

At least five people, four Arabs and one Indian, were killed in the bombing which rocked a residential compound in Riyadh at midnight last night (0800 Sunday AEDT), a senior Saudi official told AFP at the site of the blast early today.

"Three Lebanese, one Sudanese and one Indian" were killed in the blast at the al-Muhaya complex, the official said, requesting anonymity.

"So far, 99 people are known to have been wounded," he added.

Reuters reported a Western diplomat said between 20 and 30 people were estimated to have been killed and up to 100 injured in the blast.

"We don't have an exact toll and this is initial but our best guess is that between 20 to 30 were killed and 50 to 100 were injured," the Saudi-based senior diplomat told Reuters.

A hospital source told AFP the wounded included three US and three Canadian citizens, all of Arab descent.

"Three Americans from the same family, and three Canadians also from the same family, were among the wounded transferred to our hospital," said the source at one of the capital's main medical facilities.

"All are of Arab origin," the source said, requesting anonymity.

-AFP


This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/11/09/1068329413443.html

[montag813]

Does anyone else find it odd and somewhat fishy that each of the last 3 "terror attacks" in Saudi Arabia were on "residential" buildings (apartments) filled with Arab workers. In this case the building housed mainly Lebanese citizens working in S.Arabia. Why on earth would Al Queda want to kill 30 Lebanese? Wouldn't they bomb and government ministry or other offical or corporate structure of the Saudi or other foreign government?

Is it at all possible that the Saudis themselves are behind these strangely-targeted "attacks" in order to claim victim status in the war on terror?

[stlnative]

Read post #3 on this thread and this will explain...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/523157/posts

Also remember the people mostly living in this complex worked for the Saudi Royal Family and/or the Saudi Goverment.

[Cindy]

LINKS OF INTEREST (Updated Daily)
http://www.truthusa.com/LinksOfInterest.html

[Dog]

Also remember the people mostly living in this complex worked for the Saudi Royal Family and/or the Saudi Goverment.

This was a strike at the Saudi Royal family more than anything.....this was AQ's way of telling the Royals they could reach out and touch them anytime and anywhere.

[japaneseghost]

There are 2 factions within the Saudi royal family - the pro-Western playboy princes and the strict Wahhabis - I think Prince Abdulluh is their favorite to take the throne.

I heard the Saudis are expecting the most violence around Christmas.

[anglian]

An idiot post from the d.u. site;.Explosion In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- breaking (54). I think we can safely blame the bush administration for this.
Without the latest crusades against Islam by bush this would not have happened. Once Dean or whomever gets in this kind of crap will just stop.