July 2, 2004

PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC CONGRATULATES CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH ON THE SUCCESSES ACHIEVED IN DEFEATING THE REMNANTS OF TERRORISTS. A GUN BATTLE IN RIYADH ENDS WITH THE KILLING OF ONE OF THE DANGEROUS WANTED AND THE SECURITY FORCES FOLLOW UP OTHER TERRORISTS. THE GOVERNMENT OF KUWAIT RENEWS ITS SOLIDARITY WITH SAUDI ARABIA AGAINST TERRORISM. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received a telephone call from President Jacques Chirac of France during which they dealt with the depth of the distinguished relations binding the two countries, ways of enhancing them and developments in the region. During the conversation, President Chirac paid tribute to the bravery of Saudi security police and the Saudi people in the fight against terrorism. The French president also congratulated Crown Prince Abdullah on the successes so far achieved in defeating the remnants of terrorists. Chirac announced the support of France for the Kingdom in its efforts aiming at fighting terrorism. On his part, Crown Prince Abdullah thanked the president on his good feelings and wished him permanent health and happiness and his people steady progress and prosperity. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received at his palace in Jeddah visiting South Korean Minister for Trade Hwang Doo-hyun and the accompanying delegation. During the meeting, the minister conveyed to the crown prince greetings of South Korea's President Roh Moo-hyun. On his part, Crown Prince sent his greetings to the Korean president. The meeting was attended by Dr. Hashim Ibn Abdullah Yamani and Korean Ambassador to the Kingdom Kang Gwang-won. The meetings of the 13th session of the Saudi-Korean joint committee concluded last Wednesday. The two-day meetings were headed by Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr. Hashim Ibn Abdullah Yamani and South Korean Minister of Commerce Du Huin Fong. Dr. Yamani and Fong signed the minutes of the meeting. In a speech following the signature, Dr. Yamani said that the two sides took a number of steps to enhance the trade exchange and to finish the project agreement on avoidance of double taxation and an accord on sea transportation. On his part, Fong said that the meeting helped in enhancing the bilateral relations between the two countries for more success in developing cooperation. He noted that South Korean exports to the Kingdom last year reached $ 1.5 billion while the Korean imports accounted for about $ 9.6 billion. Fong expected more cooperation in the energy and information technology fields. On the other hand two terrorists, including one of the 26 most wanted, were shot dead in a fierce gun battle with security forces east of the capital. Two police officers were also killed and three civilians injured in the shootout, according to a security source. The name of the second terrorist killed was not known but Bandar Al-Dakheel, also on the list of the most wanted terrorists in the Kingdom, managed to flee the shootout scene in a Ford Crown Victoria. The source added that wanted was wearing an explosive belt when he was killed in the clash in Al-Quds district and a special bomb squad unit managed to remove the belt from around his body half an hour after he was shot dead. The dramatic series of events leading to the shootout started at around four o'clock in the afternoon. Security forces surrounded the area after they discovered that a group of terrorists was hiding in a villa at the Abi Uqaba Al-Thaqasi Street in the King Fahd district. All roads leading to the two-story villa, behind the Al-Nahdi Pharmacy, were sealed off. Spikes were strategically placed in a bid to stave off an escape bid. Following a brief gun battle the terrorists tried to escape in two cars a GMC Suburban and a Toyota Corolla with the security forces hot in chase. The GMC Suburban was destroyed by police fire, but the suspects managed to stop a grey Honda Civic and tried to flee. Stocks of arms and ammunition were recovered from the villa. According to a source at the scene, the villa was completely booby-trapped and full of explosives "enough to cause a major destruction in the entire area." The security forces defused the booby-trap after storming the two-story villa in which several terrorists and their families were believed to be residing. The source said it was evident that five families were staying "here because we found five separate kitchens and women's clothes during the raid." He added that the villa contained a specially made first aid room with all medical facilities. It is believed that the wife of Abdul Aziz Muqrin, the top Al-Qaeda leader slain recently, also lived in the villa. The police gave chase to two terror suspects driving a gray Honda Civic on King Fahd Road. The pursuit reached the Al-Quds district near the intersection of Khalid Ibn Al Waleed Street and Prince Abdullah Road. One of the two assailants opened fire on the pursuing police patrol car near the KFC restaurant. Police officer Humoud Abdullah Al-Harbi was killed instantly by a shot in the head. Bloodstains of the slain officer were splashed on the outside of the vehicle. The police patrol car was damaged on one side as the officer tried to force the terrorists' car to a halt, but failed. The chase continued into Al-Waqar Street in the Al-Quds district where a fierce gun battle took place between the terrorists and the police officers. As a result, the wanted person was killed and several civilians were injured. Bandar Al-Dakheel managed to escape by stopping a green Ford Crown Victoria at gunpoint. The fugitive then fled to Al-Rawdah district, a source said. Sources at Al-Alam Medical Center, in Al-Quds district, where the injured were brought, told Arab News that officer Al-Harbi was taken to the center in a Red Crescent ambulance where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Three other injured police officers were also admitted to the center. One of them, Bandar Al-Qahtani, later succumbed to his wounds. According to the sources, one officer was shot in the right arm, one in the right shoulder, and one in the upper left shoulder. Three injured civilians who were caught in the cross-fire were also admitted to hospital. The source added that one Sudanase arrived bleeding profusely and a Southeast Asian national was in critical condition. The third civilian's nationality or condition was not revealed. A plainclothes police officer, whose house was close to the site of the gun battle and where the terror suspect in the Honda was killed, said that he did not imagine that one day terrorism would reach his own doorstep. "I'm a plainclothes police officer and I woke up to the sound of gunshots and police car sirens at about 4 p.m. I never thought the day would come that this menace would take place right outside my house. These people are animals," he said. Shortly after the gun battle police closed exits 10 and 11 on the East Ring Road and sealed off the entire area. Helicopters were hovering over the district in search of the fugitive in the Ford Crown Victoria. Police patrol cars, several Red Crescent ambulances, as well as Special Forces Units rushed to the scene. The area where the gun battle took place was only two blocks away from Al-Hamra district near the Jarir Bookstore Shopping Complex where unknown gunmen carried out a drive-by shooting that killed German national Hermann Bengler as he left the Arab National Bank on May 22. In another incident, police besieged a building near Sahari Shopping Center on King Fahd Road where several terror suspects were believed to be holed up. The Ministry of Interior official said one security officer was killed in the 3:30 P.M. exchange of heavy gunfire with lawmen and five militants on Khalid Ibn Waleed Street near the Al-Tajun restaurant. The two dead extremists and the one officer were not identified late Wednesday. The attack comes just one week after King Fahd offered a 30-day amnesty to militants who surrendered to authorities. The amnesty offer appeared to gain momentum when alleged Al-Qaeda-backed extremists Saban Ibn Mohammed Al-Shihri and Othman Ibn Hadi Al-Maqbul Al-Amri surrendered to authorities. The amnesty offer also came on the heels of the deaths of Al-Qaeda cell leader Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin and his three henchmen on June 18 following a bloody battle with security forces. Former car dealer and prison guard Saleh Al-Awfi has replaced Al-Murqin as the new Saudi Arabia cell leader. It was unknown late Wednesday whether he had a hand in the latest attack. The attack began in the Al-Quds District when security men discovered a house used by the five suspected militants in the King Fahd neighborhood. The suspects were followed as they left the house in three cars, the policeman said. Stocks of arms and ammunition were seen being taken out of the house. Lawmen attempted to stop a Hyundai car. Militants inside the vehicle began blasting them with gunfire. A chase ensued and at one point, extremists carjacked a vehicle from a Riyadh resident and attempted to flee, according to sources. A correspondent for Agence France Presse said that two of the vehicles that had been carrying the militants had been destroyed. Witnesses had earlier said they saw three bodies at the site of the clashes while two helicopters hovered overhead. Two other policemen were wounded in the shootout and were evacuated. It is unclear how the security officer was killed. Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda cell in Saudi Arabia has stepped up its war of words by predicting that the amnesty aimed at urging militants to surrender will fail. The newsletter is published every two weeks on a website. Extremists have staged a wave of deadly attacks in the Kingdom since May 2003, more recently targeting Westerners. At least 85 police and civilians have been killed in the shootings and bombings that Al-Qaeda says are aimed at toppling the Saudi government and expelling infidel Westerners. The Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al þAhmad al Jaber al Sabah on Wednesday highly valued the "accountable stances þ þadopted by the National Assembly's members which fell in line with government political policies towards sisterly states including the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)."þ þ Addressing the parliament, during a session before deputies go into summer vacation until next October as part of the 10th legislative term of July 2003, Sheikh Sabah asserted Kuwait's solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (a þGCC member) in its battle against terrorism, voicing Kuwait's "serious þcommitment to cooperation with all regional and international forces concerned þwith eradication of the destructive criminal behaviour".þ þSheikh Sabah seized the opportunity to congratulate the Iraqi people for the restoration of sovereignty, wishing success for the people of Iraq in achieving stability and security.þ On the domestic affairs, Sheikh Sabah defended the government's decision to vote with a proposal to send back to the National Assembly's defense and interior committee a bill concerning amendment of electoral constituencies, þsaying "extreme differences in views showed by members of parliament during the debate of the issue and media campaign that accompanied discussions of the þ þissue forced the government to vote with the return of the report to the committee".þ Affirming government's desire to expand base of constituencies and þ þelectoral participation, Sheikh Sabah stressed keenness on giving women their right to vote and nominate.þ þ Highlighting the nature of relations between the legislative (parliament) and executive (government) authorities, Sheikh Sabah said causes of tension þand differences in points of view over several issues were "contained", a matter that helped achieve a number of objectives, "though less than our ambitions". On the other hand the 7th þ Arab conference for combating terrorism, held in Tunisia, stressed the þimportance of cooperating and coordinating to combat this phenomenon þ threatening the Arab and Islamic world.þ þ For his part, Secretary General of the Arab council of interior ministers, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Ali Koman, said that terrorist acts that recently took place in Saudi Arabia are in the interest of powers opposing Arabs and Muslims, þexpressing disdain at having associated these violent acts with Islam.þ þ He described these terrorist as a group that has deviated from religion, þsociety and law, stressing that they must be stopped. þ þ þHe added that terrorism is affecting the security and stability of the þ þregion and the whole world, commending the studies undertaken by the GCC council of ministers of interior on terrorism.þ þ The two-day conference, grouping delegations from different Arab countries, þis to discuss issues related to combating terrorism, where the agenda includes þthe structuring of a terrorism combating body, as well as establishing a þmechanism for cooperation of security bodies and the media to stop the þspreading of extremist ideologies.þ Dr. Mohammed Ibn Ali Kuman, the Secretary General of the Arab Interior Ministers, called for the protection of the Arab society against organized crime. He underscored the importance of cooperation among all countries to combat and tackle the phenomenon of terrorism. The Secretary General asserted categorical rejection of all forms of terrorism, violence and extremism and noted that the Arab world was precedent in warning against the dangers of terrorism. He said Arab countries continue to be committed to maintain the security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq as an integral part of the Arab nation. He lauded the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and their brave Intifada and called on the international community to provide international protection against Israel's state terrorism, lift the Israeli-imposed siege against the Palestinian authority and people; and implement United Nations resolutions calling for an end of the aggression, withdrawal of Israel from all Arab occupied territories to the June 1967 line, and establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Al Quds as its capital. Dr Kuman affirmed the dire need for uniting the efforts of various bodies and institutions of the society to enhance the security base in the Arab homeland, pointing out that media institutions occupy an important position in the comprehensive security system in modern societies since their role is integral to the concerned security institutions. He called for the importance of highlighting the image of Islam, Islam's tolerance and its method to fight aggressive behavior and activate social participation in confronting extremism and terrorism in all its forms. The Secretary General also called for learning from past mistakes, utilizing joint elements in the service of common interests, maintaining unity, dispelling distortion attached to our image, deepening our contacts with countries and peoples of the world based on mutual respect and understanding to let all know that we are callers for security and peace. The Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz University for Security Sciences was established as an Academy by a resolution issued in 1398. The Academy was transformed into a university due to the strong need for a specialized university in the field of security studies. The Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz University for Security Sciences University is considered a regional organization with diplomatic status. The University specializes in security and crimes studies and ways of preventing them. It includes the following colleges: The college for post graduate studies, which includes four departments and offers PhD's and Masters degree after three years of studies or a diploma after one year. The training college, trains qualified cadres in the field of security and combating crimes. The college includes four departments. The college for criminal sciences offers specialized studies for school leavers and academies and supports scientific researches. The language college was established in 2004. It includes five sections which are the English language, French, Hebrew, Farsi and Turkish. The college teaches cadres and security forces foreign languages in order to help them communicate, read and write these languages. The college has also specialized courses in translation. The center for research and studies specializes in research in the field of security and includes three sections which are the research and studies section, a section for conferences and symposiums and the publishing section. The information and computer center specializes in the field of computer studies and Information Technology and provides help to all the departments of the University. The University has a general administration for students affairs, and an international cooperation department which co-operate with other specialized areas atop of which the United Nations in its program for the prevention of crimes. Five persons were killed and scores were injured in clashes taking place between the Yemeni army and supporters of the Yemeni Hussein Bader Eddin Al-Houthi in Saada province to the north of Yemen. The Yemeni defense ministry said that Zeid Bin Ali Musleh al-Houthi -- who was appointed by Hussein Bader Eddin Al-Houthi as his deputy -- was killed at the hands of the army forces which destroyed his house situated on Marran mountain in Saadeh which is used for piling up weapons. A source in the local authorities and people of the area said that a senior official in the Yemeni army was hit by 8 bullets in haidan area which is situated to the east of Marran area. Since the beginning of the siege against al-Houthi on June 18, some 67 persons were killed in Yemen, including 12 soldiers in violent clashes. News reports said that the armed confrontations between the government forces and supporters of Hussein Bader Eddine al-Houthi resulted in displacing large number of people of Marran mountain area in Saddah especially with the displacing of hidings of al-Houthi supporters by artillery and missiles of helicopters. The Yemeni security forces said it has tightened besiege of al-Houthi and his supporters in Marran mountain area and said this is after the failure of the mediation assigned by the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to convince al-Houthi to hand over voluntarily to the authorities and to abide by the constitution and the law. Meanwhile British police arrested on Wednesday a Moroccan national on a European arrest warrant alleging he committed terrorist offences, a Scotland Yard spokeswoman said. F.H, 35, is presently remanded in custody in a London prison, the spokesman told MAP. Spanish authorities had asked Great Britain to extradite the man, who will appear on July 5 before a court in London. The Times newspaper said Hilali was suspected of helping to plot the September 11 attacks and was an alleged accomplice in the Madrid train bombings on March 11 this year. The Moroccan national appears to be one of the most important suspect arrested by the Scotland Yard and also the most important one remanded under the newly introduced arrest warrant designed to improve cross-border cooperation.