Saudi Arabia - newsletter

This special supplement to the Saudi-US Relations Information Service Newsletter provides a survey of reporting on the terrorist attacks against Western compounds in Riyadh on May 12, 2003.

The tragic, bloody and painful events that took place in the heart of our dear capital, Riyadh, last night, in which innocent citizens and residents were killed or injured, prove once again that terrorists are criminals and murderers with total disregard for any Islamic and human values or decency. They are no different from vicious animals whose only concern is to shed blood and bring terror to those innocents under God�s protection.

Crown Prince Abdullah
May 13, 2003

These tragic events should serve as a warning to the unwary, and should restore sanity to the deluded. The perpetrators are but a small group of deviants whose objective is to do harm to our society by doing damage to its security.

On the other hand, the whole Saudi nation, old and young, men and women, stand shoulder-to-shoulder in condemning this heinous act and expressing their rejection of those who perpetrated it. We will be steadfast in defending our homeland, the cradle of Islam, and the heart of the Arab world.

If these murderers believe that their criminal and bloody act will shake our nation or its unity, they are mistaken. And if they believe they can disrupt the security and tranquility of our nation, they are dreaming. This is because the Saudi people, who have embraced the Holy Book as their guide and the Shari�a as their way of life, and who have rallied behind their leaders, who in turn embraced them, will not permit a deviant few to shed the blood of the innocent which God Almighty, in His infinite wisdom and justice, has sanctified. The entire Saudi nation, and not just its valiant security forces, will not hesitate to confront the murderous criminals.

Crown Prince Abdullah and Prince Sultan Tour Bomb Damaged Compound (May 13, 2003)

There can be no acceptance or justification for terrorism. Nor is there a place for any ideology which promotes it, or beliefs which condone it. We specifically warn anyone who tries to justify these crimes in the name of religion. And we say that anyone who tries to do so will be considered a full partner to the terrorists and will share their fate. As revealed in the Holy Qur'an: �If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein (forever): and the wrath and the curse of God are upon him, and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him."

Further, as revealed in the Holy Qur'an, the taking of an innocent life is a crime against all of humanity. In the words of the Prophet (God�s peace and mercy be upon him): �He who kills a resident living in peace among you, will never breathe the air of heaven.�

These messages, which do not require any interpretation, provide clear evidence that the fate of those murderers is damnation on earth and the fury of Hell in the thereafter.

I vow to my fellow citizens and to the friends who reside among us, that the State will be vigilant about their security and well-being. Our nation is capable, by the Grace of God Almighty and the unity of its citizens, to confront and destroy the threat posed by a deviant few and those who endorse or support them. With the help of God Almighty, we shall prevail.

President Bush said today that he strongly suspected the bombings in Saudi Arabia were the work of al Qaeda and promised "American justice" for the perpetrators.

The Saudi government and people will not be deterred by Monday�s terror attacks in Riyadh, said Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, yesterday. �We will fight terrorism together,� he added.

"...The target of the Al-Qaeda terrorists is Saudi Arabia and the United States and the 70-year relationship that has benefited both our peoples; and at a time when we are working together to bring peace and stability to the people of the Middle East, their aim is to destroy our alliance through violence. But they will not succeed..."

A known al Qaeda cell headed by a veteran Saudi militant who trained in Afghanistan carried out the coordinated car bombings late Monday that ripped apart buildings and homes in three compounds inhabited by Americans and other Westerners in Riyadh, Saudi officials said [May 13].

The well-coordinated bomb attacks in Saudi Arabia Monday night - the worst against Americans since 9/11 - may represent an attempt by terrorists to exploit tensions between the United States and a key ally in the Middle East and to send a stark message to Washington: We're still here.

A team of U.S. officials was dispatched to Saudi Arabia [May 13] amid debate inside the government over how cooperative the Saudi government will be in allowing the United States to investigate Monday's terrorist bombings in Riyadh.

BOMBING MAY BOOST TIES TO U.S.

Experts Say Attacks Could Be 'Wake-Up Call' on Threat to Kingdom
By all indications, the suicide bombings in Riyadh were planned as a protest against the U.S. presence in Saudi Arabia. But they may have the paradoxical effect of alerting Saudi leaders to the threat posed by the terrorist organization al Qaeda, according to U.S. officials and political analysts.

The bombings in Riyadh may further strain U.S.-Saudi ties, but there is no easy way to disentangle the interests underpinning them.

The simultaneous strikes on three foreign compounds were carried out by 15 Saudis, the foreign minister said [May 14], acknowledging gaps in security before the attacks that killed more than 25 people. The overall death toll rose to 34, including at least seven Americans and nine attackers, Saudi officials said. Prince Saud al-Faisal would not give details on what happened to the six surviving attackers.

FOR U.S. CONTRACTORS, A REMINDER

Attack in Saudi Arabia 'Reemphasizes the Need for Security' in Mideast
Even before [May 12] terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia, U.S. companies had been quietly increasing security for thousands of employees stationed in the country and the region.

The suicide bombing on [May 12] night in Riyadh that killed at least seven Americans has revived a sharp debate here over whether Saudi Arabia has moved firmly enough to fight Islamic militancy within its borders and to stanch the flow of money to terrorist groups overseas, lawmakers and Middle East experts say.

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said [May 14] that there were gaps in Saudi security before the suicide attacks that killed more than 25 people. "The fact that the terrorism happened is an indication of shortcomings, and we have to learn from our mistakes and seek to improve our performance in this respect," Prince Saud al-Faisal said at a news conference.

The State Department ordered nonessential diplomats and family members out of Saudi Arabia and FBI agents headed to the kingdom after an attack that killed at least 30 people, including eight Americans.