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Kingdom
Issues New List of Terrorists
Raid Qusti & Samir Al-Saadi, Arab News
RIYADH/JEDDAH,
29 June 2005 — Saudi Arabia yesterday issued a new list of 36
suspects believed to be linked to a series of terror attacks across
the country, reflecting the government’s resolve to go ahead with
its anti-terror campaign.
In
the latest response to a two-year campaign of bombings and killings
by supporters of the Al-Qaeda terror network, the Interior Ministry
broadcast pictures of the suspects on state television and offered
hefty rewards for their capture. “Security authorities managed to
uncover plans by the deviant group who used themselves as a tool to
distort Islam and harm the security of the country,” the ministry
said in a statement.
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The
announcement came days after a report that one of the last remaining
militants — Abdullah Al-Rashoud — on an earlier list of 26 most
wanted terrorists had been killed in Iraq.
Officials
say at least 90 civilians and more than 40 members of the security
forces have been killed by militants.
Police
have killed more than 100 terrorists during the same period and
there have been no attacks this year comparable to the multiple
suicide bombings of residential compounds in 2003 or the targeted
killings of Westerners 12 months ago.
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We
Can Track Them Down, Says Prince Naif
“'All
our security agencies are on full alert and are
capable of reaching them and foiling their terrorist
plans and operations,' Prince Naif said referring to
the new list of 36 wanted terrorists issued by the
Interior Ministry on Tuesday.."
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The
ministry offered a bounty of up to SR7 million for anyone who helps
capture a terrorist or foil an attack. Most of the wanted men on the
new list are Saudis while some are from Chad, Yemen, Morocco and
Mauritania. Fifteen are believed to be at large inside Saudi Arabia
while 21 are outside the Kingdom.
Speaking
to Arab News, Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, Interior Ministry spokesman,
said the ministry released the new list after thorough
investigations. Referring to the suspects outside the Kingdom,
Al-Turki said: “We don’t have information on their whereabouts,
but we know they have fled the Kingdom.”
Saudi
analyst Faris ibn Houzam said that of those outside Saudi Arabia,
most were likely to be in neighboring Iraq. “The issue for the
government is when those fighters in Iraq return to Saudi Arabia,”
he told Arab News.
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This
is the first time the government has issued a list of terrorists
outside of the Kingdom, he said. “By releasing the list, the
ministry is giving an early warning on the men,” he added. “The
list also proved that terrorists in the Kingdom have been receiving
outside support.” He also pointed out that many terrorists fled
the Kingdom as a result of the government’s fierce campaign
against the militants.
Saudi
security consultant Nawaf Obaid said most of the Saudis — who made
up 29 of the 36 names on the new list — were “second tier”
militants who had worked under more senior operatives, most of whom
have been killed or captured.
All
but two men on a previous Saudi list of 26 wanted men, published in
December 2003, are believed dead or in custody. The non-Saudis are
wanted by Saudi Arabia but “also represent a threat in their
native countries” because they have gained access to money,
logistics and training, Obaid said. |
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Anti-Terrorism
Cop Targeted
"..Lt.
Col. Mubarak Al-Sawat, who was shot dead in front of
his house while leaving for work on June 19, was
targeted by a group of killers for being good at his
job. He was rated as the best and the most valuable
interrogators in the country.
"He
was one of the best security officers in the country
but was unaware that terrorists were on the roof of
his house, waiting for him to go to work.."
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Saudi
Arabia has been battling Al-Qaeda terrorists, who have staged
several bloody attacks on foreign residents, government sites and
energy-industry installations in the last two years.
Kevin
Rosser of London-based Control Risks said the publication of the
latest list showed Saudi officials were not easing up in their fight
with the militants. “In some ways it’s a very positive step, but
it also shows the long-term nature of the problem,” he said. “It’s
a deeply entrenched and open-ended struggle,” he added.
The
ministry called on the wanted men to surrender, saying this would be
“taken into consideration when looking into their case.”
The
statement, which was carried by the Saudi Press Agency, said the
families of the suspects as well as the countries of foreign
suspects have been informed that the government is searching for
them. “Through information retrieved from those who had taken part
in the terrorist attacks since May 12, 2003, it was able to reach
valid information about other suspects involved,” the ministry
said.
The
ministry warned citizens and residents against dealing with the
suspects, adding that authorities would question anyone who dealt
with them.
“The
release of the new list offers a chance for anyone who had
cooperated or dealt with these suspects in the past to approach
security officers to explain their actions, a measure that would
relieve them from later being questioned and from charges that could
be leveled against them for taking part in terrorist acts,” it
said.
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The
ministry has offered SR1 million to anyone who gives any information
that leads to the capture of a wanted terror suspect on the list.
SR5 million will be given to anyone who gives any information that
leads to the capture of more than one suspect. SR7 million will be
given to anyone who gives information that foils a plot to carry out
a terrorist act.
The
new list of terrorists is as follows:
(A)
Terror suspects who are wanted for their roles in terrorist
activities in the country and are believed to be inside the Kingdom.
(1) Younus Mohamed Al-Hiyari, 36, Moroccan. He entered the country
in 1991 to perform Haj. He has not left the country since and has
gone underground. He has a wife and a child and was last seen east
of Riyadh. (2) Fahd Farraj Al-Juwair, 35, Saudi. Born in Zulfi, his
last residence was in Riyadh. (3) Zaid Saad Al-Samary, 31, Saudi.
His last residence was in Al-Kharj. (4) Abdul Rahman Saleh Al-Miteb,
26, Saudi. He was born in Zulfi and lived in this central city. (5)
Saleh Mansour Al-Harbi, 22, Saudi. He used to live in Buraidah in
the Qasim region. (6) Sultan Saleh Al-Hasry, 26, Saudi. He used to
live in Madinah. (7) Mohamed Abdul Rahman Al-Suwailemi, 23, Saudi.
He used to live in Riyadh and has good computer skills. He is also
good in using the Internet. He was last seen in Al-Kharj. (8)
Mohamed Saleh Al-Ghaith, 23, Saudi. He used to live in Riyadh. (9)
Abdullah Abdul Aziz Al-Tuwaijeri, 21, Saudi. He used to live in
Buraidah. (10) Mohamed Saeed Al-Amry, 25, Saudi. He used to live in
Madinah. (11) Ibrahim Abdullah Al-Motair, 21, Saudi. He was born in
Zulfi where he used to live. He was last seen in Al-Kharj. (12)
Walid Mutlaq Al-Radadi, 21, Saudi. He used to live in Madinah and
was last seen in Al-Kharj. (13) Naif Farhan Al-Shammary, 24, Saudi.
He used to live in Hafr Al-Baten. (14) Majed Hamid Al-Hasry, 29,
Saudi. He used to live in Riyadh. (15) Abdullah Muhaya Al-Shammary,
24, Saudi. He used to live in Hail.
(B)
Terror suspects who are wanted for their role in domestic terrorist
activities but information says they are abroad: (1) Noor Mohamed
Moussa, 21, Chadian. (2) Manour Mohamed Yousef, 24, Chadian. (3)
Othman Mohamed Kourani, 23, Chadian. (4) Mohsen Ayed Al-Fadhli, 25,
Kuwaiti. (5) Abdullah Walad Mohamed Sayyed, 37, Mauritanian. (6)
Zaid Hassan Humaid, 34, Yemeni. (7) Fahd Saleh Al-Mahyani, 24,
Saudi. (8) Adnan Abdullah Al-Sharief, 28, Saudi. (9) Marzouq Faisal
Al-Otaibi, 32, Saudi. (10) Adel Abdullateef Al-Sanie, 27, Saudi.
(11) Mohamed Abdul Rahman Al-Dhait, 21, Saudi. (12) Sultan Sunaitan
Al-Dhait, 24, Saudi. (13) Saleh Saeed Al-Ghamdi, 40, Saudi. (14)
Faiz Ibrahim Ayub, 30, Saudi. (15) Khaled Mohamed Al-Harbi, 29,
Saudi. (16) Mohamed Othman Al-Zahrani, 44, Saudi. (17) Abdullah
Mohamed Al-Rumayan, 27, Saudi. (18) Mohamed Saleh Al-Rashoudi, 24,
Saudi. (19) Saad Mohamed Al-Shahry, 31, Saudi. (20) Ali Matir Al-Osaimy,
23, Saudi. (21) Faris Abdullah Al-Dhahiry, 22, Saudi.
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This
is the third list of wanted terrorists released by the ministry. On
May 7, 2003, the ministry released a list of 19 top terrorists
saying that they were from Al-Qaeda and were wanted by the
government for plotting a major terrorist attack in the Kingdom.
Five
days later, on May 12, several terrorists blew up detonated cars
that targeted three Western compounds in the capital. Thirty-two
people were killed in the triple suicide bombings. Since then,
security forces in the Kingdom have been engaged in battles with
Al-Qaeda militants.
By
the end of 2003, the ministry released a second list of top
terrorists; this time the number was 26, the majority of whom were
Saudi nationals.
Reprinted
with permission.
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