Ain-Al-Yaqeen - April 23, 2004

		April 23, 2004

ARAB, ISLAMIC AND INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION OF THE TERRORIST ATTACKS IN RIYADH.
THE CROWN PRINCE: THESE CRIMINAL ACTS PERPETRATED BY A DEVIANT MINORITY WILL BE DEALT WITH FIRMLY UNTIL THEY ARE ROOTED OUT.
THE SECOND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: THESE CRIMINAL ACTS PERPETRATED BY A DEVIANT GROUP WILL BE FIRMLY CONFRONTED.
PRINCE NAIF: ATTACKING SECURITY FORCES SHOWS THE BANKRUPTCY OF THE TERROR CELLS, WHICH WE ARE DETERMINED TO TRACK DOWN.
THE GOVERNOR OF RIYADH: THIS CRIME AND OTHERS WILL NOT DISCOURAGE THE KINGDOM FROM ACHIEVING SECURITY AND COMMITTING TO THE HOLY QURAN AND SUNNAH OF THE PROPHET PEACE BE UPON HIM.

At least four people, including two security officers, were killed and 148 injured when a powerful car bomb devastated buildings of special security forces and the traffic department here yesterday. The vehicle exploded at a protective barrier outside the buildings, destroying dozens of other vehicles, damaging shops and property in a building across the road, and shattering windows over a wide area. The blast came six days after a terror alert from the US Embassy.

"Four people two security men, a civilian employee and an 11-year old Syrian girl were killed," Saudi television reported, quoting an Interior Ministry official.

"The number of wounded reached 148, including 38 expatriates. Of those 103 have left hospital and 45 remain there, three among them in critical condition," the ministry said.

Saudi leaders quickly vowed to root out the terrorists, who struck at the security forces buildings for the first time since a series of bombings began in Riyadh last year. "These criminal acts perpetrated by a deviant minority will be dealt with firmly until they are rooted out," Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, told Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during a telephone conversation.

An official source at the Ministry of Interior said that a car bomb exploded near the General Directorate of Traffic in Riyadh today which resulted in casualties among citizens and security men and destruction in the surrounding area.

The source pointed out that at 2:00 p.m. a car tried to enter the directorate's headquarters. The guards dealt with the car in accordance with the situation, but the driver exploded the car 30 meters far from the gate.

The source added that the concerned authorities are following up the incident and a detailed subsequent statement will be issued later.

An official source at the Ministry of Interior said in a subsequent statement on the blast that hit the Headquarters of General Directorate of Traffic and the surrounding area in Riyadh today that the blast resulted in killing 4 persons and injuring 148 others. The source pointed out that the dead included two martyrs from security men, a civil employee and a Syrian girl ( 11 years old).

The source added, '' The injured included 38 residents; 103 injured peoples were discharged from hospitals; 45 cases remained and 3 of them are critical.'' The source prayed to Almighty Allah to bless the souls of the martyrs, wishing the injured a quick recovery.

Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received a telephone call from Palestine's President Yasser Arafat. are uprooted.

During the call, President Arafat condemned the criminal blast which took place in Riyadh, praying to Almighty Allah to preserve the Kingdom's security and stability. are uprooted.

The Crown Prince thanked President Arafat for his sincere brotherly feelings towards the Kingdom, stressing that these criminal acts perpetrated by a deviant group will be strongly confronted until they are uprooted.

Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, also received a telephone call from President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.

During the conversation, President Mubarak condemned in the strongest words the criminal explosion which took place in Riyadh, appealing to Almighty Allah to keep the Kingdom stable and secure.

On his part, Crown Prince Abdullah thanked President Mubarak for his feelings, confirming that the Kingdom will firmly stand against the plots of the deviating groups.

Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General received a telephone call from Jordan's Premier Faisal Al-Fayiz.

During the call, the Jordanian Premier condemned the criminal blast which took place in Riyadh, praying to Almighty Allah to preserve the Kingdom's security and stability.

Prince Sultan thanked the premier for his brotherly feelings towards the Kingdom, stressing that these criminal acts perpetrated by a deviant group will be firmly confronted.

From his part Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior, stressed that security men are firm and tough in facing crimes against religion and society.

Prince Naif considered himself as one of the security men, emphasizing that the security men will face all these acts with firmness, noting that the will of the security men has increased.

In a statement to media following a visit to the injured at King Faisal specialist hospital in Riyadh, Prince Naif said "I say to the citizens: this is the time when we must be security men."

He added: "The security bodies have foiled tens of attempts which were more stronger than what happened on Wednesday. We should never rule out the happening of these things and we have to increase our strength and this is what it will be."

Pointing out to the terrible bombing on Wednesday, Prince Naif said: "This act does not have anything to do with Islam and it is against Islam. These people have to get back to their commonsense and to surrender because we are going to get them anywhere."

Responding to a question of taking extra measures after what had happened, he said: "Every place is important to us. And what had taken place, in fact, increases further the courage and the determination of the security men and they are fully prepared to face these matters."

Prince Naif said: "We are all for the sake of our country, we are all the sons of the country and we are all for the sake of our religion and country."

As regards the suspected persons in Al-Aueena, Prince Naif said: "We hope that they will be captured."

With respect to a question about the arrest of the people who support this act, Prince Naif said: "Any support through a TV channel or any other media organ will be dealt with sternly. And such people will be arrested, interrogated and handed over to courts."

Prince Naif directed his statement towards families of the security men by saying "These people are doing their duty and they will continue doing their duty. I know them and I know that their enthusiasms have no limit."

He also directed his statement to the media people by saying "I hope you look for the precision and to give the reader, viewer and listener the truth and not to rush at things that do not have anything to do with the truth."

Responding to a question about the false claim of these people of targeting the foreigners, Prince Naif stressed by saying "The foreigner in this country is under the protection of the country."

Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister, paid a visit to the injured of the criminal blast that took place in Riyadh.

Upon arrival at King Faisal Specialist Hospital (KFSH), he was received by the Director of Public Security Lieutenant General Saeed Al-Qahtani and the Director of (KFSH) Dr. Anwar Al-Jabarti.

Prince Naif was reassured of the conditions of the injured and of the health care provided for them, wishing them a quick recovery.

Interior Minister Prince Naif said the attack would not undermine the Kingdom's police force. "Their morale is incredibly high," the minister told reporters, "Attacking security forces shows the bankruptcy of the terror cells, which we are determined to track down," said Prince Naif.

Prince Naif confirmed that a large number of civilians had been injured in the blast. Arab News said that the King Faisal Specialist Hospital alone had received 32 injured. Seven of them were admitted to the intensive care unit. The injured included the directors of traffic and operations departments.

Prince Naif said the Kingdom's security forces were successful in preventing "tens of terrorist attacks". He added that security forces were ready to confront any attacks.

Asked whether he believed there were any foreign forces behind the blast, the minister said: "We cannot say that." Such attacks could happen in any country, he added.

He urged Saudis to cooperate with security forces in the fight against terror. "Every citizen is a member of the security force," he said. He also urged terrorists to surrender for their own good.

Prince Naif warned those who support terrorists, especially through satellite channels and other media, saying they would be dealt with sternly. "They will be arrested, interrogated and handed over to justice," he added. Asked whether he believed the bombing was a revenge attack on police for tracking down militants, the prince said: "Maybe. We cannot rule out that possibility."

An injured police officer told the minister that the attack would only increase their resolve to finish off the criminals.

Prince Naif said security forces were continuing their efforts to hunt down suspected terrorists. "We'll get them and hand them over to justice," he added.

Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh Region, paid visits to the injured of the criminal blast that took place in Riyadh.

The visits included the injured at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Riyadh Medical Complex.

Prince Salman was reassured of the conditions of the injured and of the health care provided for them, wishing them a quick recovery.

In a press statement, Prince Salman said that this crime and others will not discourage the Kingdom from achieving security and committing to the Holy Quran and Sunnah (Prophet's traditions).

Prince Salman stressed that citizens are united in combating these crimes which are contrary to religion, morality and straightforward behavior. He noted that all citizens are security men.

Prince Salman said, '' We should be committed to our religion and morality and protect our country from any aggressor inside or outside''.

He added that religion forbids extremism and immoderation and calls for justice, love and fraternity, stressing that security will be achieved and these wicked scourges will be uprooted.

Prince Salman pointed out that religion has nothing to do with those individuals who make it as a cover-up, calling on this deviant group to recant and repent.

Riyadh Governor Prince Salman said he considered the bomb attack on the security buildings as an attack on Saudi people as a whole. "Police are part and parcel of our society." He dismissed suggestions that the police had foiled other terrorist attacks. "Not at all," he stated.

The governor reiterated the government's resolve to fight religious extremism.

"We should stand united in the fight against these crimes," he told Saudis.

Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh region, attended on Thursday the funeral prayer on the people who were killed in the blast on Wednesday in Riyadh.

A number of Princes and senior officials as well as members of families and relatives of those who died in the blast also offered the prayer.

Following the prayer, Prince Salman offered his condolences to the families and the relatives.

While speaking to Prince Salman, a group of people stressed to the Governor their stand with the leadership and condemned what had taken place in Riyadh.

Prince Mohammed Ibn Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs, paid a visit to the scene of the criminal blast that hit the building of General Directorate of Traffic in Riyadh.

He inspected the losses of this wicked crime in men and properties.

The Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh affirmed that the blast which took place in Riyadh yesterday was "forbidden and sinful act."

In a statement, Sheikh Abdul Aziz, who is also the President of the Senior Ulema (Muslim scholars) Council and President of the Department of Scientific Researches and Ifta cited verses from the Holy Quran and the sayings of Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him) which clearly stipulate that such an act is a forbidden and highly sinful."

He also stressed by saying "These people want to shaken security, horrify the safe people and kill Muslims. It is forbidden to cover up such (sinful) people and whoever does so, he will be their partner in the crime."

The Mufti added: "It is also forbidden to justify the acts of these criminals." He stressed: "This country is holding together under its leadership and we all obey them." Sheikh Abdul Aziz directed his statement to the security men by saying "You have to be vigilant and have strong will in defending the religion and the Muslim country against these people."

He advised those who carried out the criminal acts or those who sympathize with them to seek repentance.

The terrible bombing on Wednesday afternoon in Riyadh drew strong condemnations from all over the world and a committed stand of solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from Arab and friendly countries as well as regional and international organizations.

These governments and organizations also expressed condolences over the victims of this terrorist act.

These condemnations came from the governments of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon, the Secretary General of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the General Secretariat of the World Muslim League, the Higher Council of Ifta in Syria, the Commissioner of Human Rights in the United Nations, the General Secretariat of the Yemeni Gathering for Reforms, and the Secretary General of the Arab League.

Saudi television said children were among the injured but also showed uniformed security force personnel in hospital. "I was in the office when the blast happened," said one bloodied and bruised man before breaking down in tears. Fires raged long after the blast, which left a deep crater and a street carpeted in debris from the shattered building. Dozens of blackened and twisted cars smoldered for hours and glass shards and concrete debris covered the tarmac.

Local people living nearby were shocked. "What can I say? We were sitting minding our own business in our homes when we felt the force of the explosion. We don't know what happened. Houses fell on our children and women," one man said. "What sin have we committed? These people don't fear God."

It was the sixth attempt to carry out car bomb attacks in the capital within a week. Security sources said five vehicles packed with explosives had been found and defused in recent days. "We succeeded in preventing five like this but this one got through," an Interior Ministry source said.

The traffic department is one of several administrative buildings located on Al-Washm Street. Others include those charged with combating drugs and detecting explosives.

Witnesses said that body parts littered the ground as thick smoke poured from the front of the six-story building. Ambulance workers recovered them.

Police quickly moved in to hold back horrified onlookers and sealed off the Al-Washm area as the scale of the carnage emerged. A fleet of ambulances, sirens wailing, ferried off casualties.

The force of the blast ripped off the facade of the glass and steel security structure, leaving gutted offices open to the sky. Bars and sheets of twisted metal were scattered over the ground, forming a battle scene of rare violence.

The bomber was charred beyond recognition. "Cars parked near the site had their windows shattered or cracked as were the windows of apartments in nearby buildings," one witness said.

The injured, many of them from the security personnel, were admitted to the Riyadh Military Hospital, the King Abdul Aziz Medical City and the Central Hospital at Shumaisy.

Terrified residents of buildings in the area flooded out onto the streets. In some cases the police had to force back the crowds to allow ambulances, patrol cars and fire engines access to the blast site.

There was an overwhelming response to calls for blood after yesterday's bombing. Over 300 people arrived at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital within the first two hours to donate blood.

Although the announcement called for blood types O- and O+, people of other blood types came forward as well.

An official told Arab News that among the donors were members of the royal family, Saudi citizens and expatriates. "We had to turn away some of them, asking them to come back on Saturday and Sunday to donate other blood types," he said.

KFSH received 32 blast casualties. The cases varied in severity. One of them, Abdul Rahman Abdullah Saleh, died before arriving at the hospital. Twelve others were admitted, while the rest were released after being treated for minor injuries.

A Ministry of Interior official said the targeted structure is the old building of the Public Security that houses the general administration offices of the Traffic Police. Also in the complex are emergency units and some public security warehouses.

The building was full of both employees and residents, including expatriates, who were there obtaining driving licenses or other official papers, the official said.

The blast occurred as children in a school opposite the security building were preparing to leave.

One of the cars tried to enter the headquarters of the General Directorate for Traffic in Riyadh, an unidentified Interior Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the Saudi Press Agency.

Guards at the gate, according to the spokesman, stopped the car and asked for identification, which led to the driver exploding the vehicle 30 meters away from the main building entrance.

The explosion resulted in destruction, and casualties among security officers and residents in the surrounding area, the spokesman added.

The death toll in Riyadh Traffic Department explosion rose to five, an official source at the Ministry of Interior said.

With the passing away of Captain Ibrahim Ibn Mubarak Al Dosary, a traffic police officer who was among the seriously injured during the blast, five have been considered martyrs.

Giving identity details of the female child who was also immediately killed during the explosion, the source said she is Wijdan Nasser Al Kindairi, a Saudi national of 11 years old.

Meanwhile MWL General Secretariat condemned the attacks in Riyadh and said it is a criminal act implemented by a deviant group of people.

Syria's Grand Mufti, Sheikh Ahmad Keftaro condemned the attacks implemented by a deviant group in Riyadh. He said in a statement that those deviants think they serve their religion while in fact they tarnish the image of Islam that forbids the killing of innocent people.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the EU Council of Ministers, Brian Cowen T.D., condemned the callous terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia. He extended his condolences to the families of those killed and expressed his hope for the speedy recovery of those injured in the attacks.

"The taking of innocent life is abhorrent and contrary to all civilised values. Where ever it occurs or in whatever cause, it has absolutely no justification."

The acting High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned in the strongest possible terms the terrorist bombings in Saudi Arabia. He extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of these heinous acts.

The acting High Commissioner considers that terrorism constitutes an assault on values the international community holds dear. An essential element in fighting this scourge is to uphold the rule of law and fundamental standards of human rights, the very things terrorists seek to destroy.

U.S. President George W. Bush condemned the terrorist act that took place in Riyadh, affirming that the world must take a strict stance against terrorists and all countries should unite to confront the threats that terrorism represents.

President Bush noted that all should be active if they want to stop the terrorist threats, pointing out that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered a good model in this regard because it (the Kingdom) is chasing those terrorists in a more effective manner after being attacked by Al-Qaeda inside its territory.

Guests at a reception organized by British diplomats to celebrate the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II stood for a moment's silence in honor of those killed. A Scottish piper then played a traditional lament "The Flowers of the Forest" in memory of the dead.

"We condemn these attacks as we condemn all terrorist attacks," said British Ambassador Sherard Cowper-Coles, speaking to Arab News from the reception.

"Innocent people have died; innocent people have been wounded. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the government of Saudi Arabia in combating terrorism wherever it occurs."

The U.S. State Department condemned the terrorist attack that targeted Riyadh city and led to the death of five people and causing injuries to 148.

The U.S. State Department Spokesman Kurtis Cooper, in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency said that the U.S. State Department expresses condolences to the government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the victims of the terrorist attack.

"The U.S. condemns this terrorist act and expresses condolences to the families of the victims, affirming that those who carry out such attacks do not serve the causes of the Arab people and Islam," Cooper noted. He affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. cooperate strongly as regards combating terrorism, stressing that such an attack enhances both countries' will to combat terrorism.