July 9, 2004

CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH IBN ABDUL AZIZ: WE GRANTED INDIVIDUALS OF THE DEVIATING GROUP A MONTH PARDON, WE HOPE THAT THEY COME BACK TO THEIR SENSES AND MAKE USE OF IT; BUT IF THEY DO NOT, THEY WILL BE HUNTED DOWN AND ELIMINATED. THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR: TERRORISTS AL-SEIKHAN AND NASSER IBN RASHID AL-RASHID DIED AFTER ONE WAS LEFT WITHOUT TREATMENT AND THE OTHER ONE'S LEG WAS AMPUTATED WITH AN ELECTRIC SAW IN A PRIMITIVE MANNER AT ONE OF THEIR HIDE-OUTS. THE IMAM OF THE GRAND MOSQUE CALLS ON THE WANTED TO LEARN FROM HISTORY. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received princes, ministers, and senior officials who came to greet him. The Crown Prince also received delegations from Qunfuzah Governorate led by Dr. Ahmad Ibn Omar Al-Zailai'; Al-Zuwaibat clan of Bani Saad Otaibah Tribe led by Saad Ibn Atiyyah Al-Zuwaibi; Qa'aqia'h clan of Roulah Tribe in Jouf Region led by Mashatel Ibn Fulaih Ibn Hamad Al-Rowaili; Al-Manaheel Tribe in Al-Kharkheer Governorate in Rubie Al-Khali (Empty Quarter) led by Obaid Ibn Omar Ibn Karamah Al-Manhali; and city and Bedouin group led by Engineer Mohammed Ibn Abdullah Ibn Fayiz Al-Qarni. In their speeches, the leaders praised the royal pardon granted to the individuals of the deviating group to repent and surrender to authorities, considering the pardon as an historical opportunity. They also strongly condemned the terrorist acts that recently took place in the kingdom by the deviating group and expressed their full support for the government and they denounced the killing of innocents, the intimidation of the secure people, destabilization of security and the damaging of properties. They stressed their stand by, support for and loyalty to the government to fight the deviant group that has perpetrated these acts. In his remarks, the Crown Prince thanked them for their stand against the deviating group and their support for the government, noting that they and their ancestors are loyal to the religion and their country. The Crown Prince noted that in the name of the King, the government and people we granted individuals of the deviating group a pardon for a month. We hope that they come back to their senses and make use of it; but if they do not, they will be hunted down and eliminated. The Crown Prince indicated that evil doers are supported by others. He said that the Kingdom was targeted because we are all custodians of the two holy mosques and all Muslims direct towards the Kingdom in their prayers. He stressed that the Kingdom has enjoyed peace and stability and it will not be harmed. The receptions were attended by a number of princes. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah princes, senior officials and citizens who came to greet him. The Crown Prince also received the Chairman of Financial Market Commission Council Jammaz Ibn Abdullah Al-Sihaimi and Saudi Ambassador to Morocco Mohammed Ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Bisher on the occasion of appointing them to their posts. Crown Prince Abdullah gave his directives to Al-Sihaimi and Al-Bisher, wishing them all success. On their parts, they expressed appreciation of the royal confidence in their appointment. The audiences were attended by Prince Saad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Turki and Prince Fawaz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Rahman. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior, received Dr. Khalid Ibn Abdul Rahman Al Homoody, on the occasion of his appointment as Director of Al Qassim University, Dr. Mansour Ibn Mohammad Al Nozhah on the occasion of his appointment as Director of Taybah University, and Dr. Abdullah Ibn Mohammad Banajah on the occasion of his appointment as Director of Taif university. Prince Naif congratulated them on the royal confidence bestowed on them, wishing them every success. On the other hand Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Governor of Assir region attended in Abha a lecture delivered by Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al Abaykan at King Faisal Mosque in Al Khaldiya in Abha on the occasion of the opening of Abha forum. Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al Abaykan said during great events each Muslim should follow the rules of God the Almighty and abide by them. He spoke about exaggeration and extremism and explained the meanings of lawful Jihad, moderation and tolerance in Islam as well as the call of the Prophet Peace be Upon Him to abide by the rules of God the Almighty. The Sheikh explained that exaggeration started at the early days of Islam with the Khawarej at the time of Othman and Ali God Bless Their souls. Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al Abaykan said we call those who do not abide by the rules of Islam Khawarej and stressed that Islam is a religion of moderation. He called for the following the religion with all its beauty, easiness and tolerance and added that the leaders of the country have defended and are defending the state against those who wants to harm it with their ignorance. After the speech the event started. In a statement Prince Khalid Al Faisal, Governor of Assir region said that due to the position of the Mosque in Islamic history Assir has taken pride in launching its summer event from the mosque. He spoke about the Saudi state and its foundation on the rules of Islam and Sharia. Prince Khalid Al Faisal, Governor of Assir region then thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Crown Prime Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General for the care they accord to the region. On the other hand the Interior Ministry said announced that security investigations had uncovered the deaths of two senior terrorists who died from untreated wounds after clashes with security forces in April. Rakan Ibn Mohsen Al-Seikhan and Nasser Ibn Rashid Al-Rashid both on a list of 26 most wanted suspects were wounded during the April 12 clashes in Riyadh, in which another terror suspect and a policeman were also killed. A ministry statement said Rashid had developed gangrene from serious leg injuries, and was told by a doctor that unless the leg was amputated within 48 hours he would die. "Three of his colleagues bought medical supplies, including an electric saw, and amputated his leg in a primitive manner at one of their hide-outs, and he died," the statement said. It said five of those who helped bury him were arrested but did not say when. The graves have not been found. The ministry said Seikhan was shot in the chest. Fellow militants took him to an uninhabited house and then to the capital's Suwaidi area, a known militant stronghold. "He received no medical attention and died the next day," the ministry said. The statement said Seikhan's burial was overseen by then Al-Qaeda leader in the Kingdom Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin, who was killed along with three other leading militants by police last month after the group beheaded an American hostage. It said one terrorist who had helped move Seikhan was Awad Al-Awad, whom security forces killed two days ago. Others had been arrested when security forces located the two hide-outs. "Those corruptors lack humanity, mercy and pity...and put their own interests before the lives of those who share their deviant ideology," the ministry said. It urged terror suspects to respond to a limited government amnesty for them to surrender by the end of July. Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz announced a one-month amnesty on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd. Al-Qaeda, in an Internet newsletter, has denounced the amnesty and said it was doomed to fail. However, two wanted suspects, one of whom appeared on the list of 26, have since surrendered to security authorities. Both came from the southern province of Assir. Meanwhile the Interior Ministry identified the terrorist killed in a Thursday night gunbattle as Awad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ali Al-Awad and the one wounded as Abdul Rahman Ibn Muhammad Ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Abdul Wahab. Earlier reports had said both were killed. The two militants were shot in the second gunbattle in as many days with militants in the capital. An Interior Ministry statement, carried by the Saudi Press Agency said the two men were among militants who fled a security raid on militant hide-outs in Riyadh when police killed an Al-Qaeda logistics operative. "A member of the National Guard alerted security forces about the two wanted men. When security forces closed in on them, they opened fire and security forces responded, killing one of them and wounding the other, who was arrested." The statement said one security officer, Muslih Ibn Saad Al-Qarni was killed and another was wounded. Last Wednesday, security forces shot dead Fahd Ibn Ali Al-Qabalan, who was in charge of overseeing the smuggling of weapons and explosives into the Kingdom. A number of wounded militants escaped after that gunbattle. At least 87 policemen and civilians, many of them foreigners, have been killed in a spate of shootings and suicide bombings in the Kingdom since May 2003. A source at the Interior Ministry said the clash between police and the terrorists took place after police spotted a number of wanted suspects while they were leaving a house in the King Fahd district. When police approached them, they opened fire and police fired back killing one and injuring another. Al-Awad was involved in the Al-Fayha district attack on April 22 and was wanted in a number of other security cases. The injured suspect, Al-Abdul Wahab, has been linked to the murder of the German, Jonathan Bengler in the Jarir shopping complex in eastern Riyadh on May 22. Funeral prayers for the slain police officer were performed after his family was flown in by a special plane at the orders of Assistant Interior Minister Prince Muhammad Ibn Naif. The suspect killed in Wednesday's shootout had initially been wrongly identified as Abdullah Al-Rashoud, a chief Al-Qaeda ideologue who gave up a teaching post with Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University to go underground and whose name appears on a list of 26 most-wanted suspects issued by the Interior Ministry in November 2003. A security source said police unearthed a large cache of arms in a villa in north Riyadh. However, the occupants of the villa escaped, the source added. The current series of clashes between security forces and terrorists began with the gunning down of top Al-Qaeda operative Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin and four henchmen hours after they beheaded US hostage Paul Johnson. Al-Muqrin became the leader of a group calling itself "Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula" after his predecessors were killed. Following Al-Muqrin's death, the group vowed to fight on under new leadership, but so far no further attacks have been reported. Security forces continued to chip away at Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, announcing that more terrorists on the Kingdom's 26 most wanted list have been killed. While Ministry officials are tight-lipped about security operations against the extremists, recent arrests and the discovery of the militants bomb-making den, first-aid center and family quarters apparently yielded enough intelligence to find the bodies of Al-Seikhan and Al-Rashed. A Ministry official said that Al-Seikhan confederates moved him following the April 12 shootout to a house being renovated in Al-Sala District in Riyadh, then moved him again to another location in Al-Swedi district. But Al-Seikhan never received medical attention. The source said that three people had been arrested in connection with the clandestine moves through the city. Awad Ibn Mohammed Ibn Ali Al-Awad, who was killed last Thursday, had also participated in moving Al-Seikhan. Meanwhile five people were arrested, and they are being interrogated to find out where the two had been buried. Their families had been informed of these developments, ministry officials said. Al-Awwad was also wanted for the April 12 ambush in Al-Fayha District of Riyadh in which one police officer was killed. The officers had thought the men were having car trouble and were about to offer help when the militants opened fire. The assailants used RPGs, hand grenades and ammonium nitrate bombs during the attack. One officer died and another was wounded. One of the alleged participants in the street shooting death of German national Herman Dengel was wounded. Abdul Rahman Bin Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Abdul Wahhab is suspected of being involved in the killing outside a bank in the Al-Hamra District of Riyadh on May 23. The April 12 shooting involving Al-Seikhan and Al-Awwad went on for three hours and resulted in the arrest of several suspected militants. However, three others had escaped. Presumably Al-Seikhan and Al-Awwad were two of the three escapees. Last Friday, the interior ministry said a militant was killed in the gun battle last Thursday in the north area of the capital, which also left a security man dead and another extremist seriously wounded. It did not identify who died last Thursday in the statement. The incident came some 24 hours after Riyadh's deputy governor said security forces had killed a dangerous militant wanted for many attacks in the Kingdom . Police named the latter as Abdullah Mohammed Rashid Al-Rashud, No. 22 on the Kingdom s most-wanted list, but Prince Sattam Ibn Abdul Aziz denied that the extremist killed in last Wednesday's shooting in eastern Riyadh was Rashud. Wanted militant Bandar Abdul Rahman Abdullah A-Dakheel, No. 18 on the list who was identified by some eyewitnesses of the Wednesday shootout, had also managed to elude security forces during the gun battle. The clashes were the first since the authorities offered an amnesty for Al-Qaeda supporters to repent and be exonerated or face a harsh clampdown. While two extremists have surrendered to authorities, high-level Al-Qaeda cell members appeared to have largely rejected King Fahd amnesty. Some people said this amnesty is a ploy, but I assure them that it is not and I urge them to take advantage of this chance before it is too late. It is not in their interest to ignore it, a Saudi official warned. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, however, has pledged that his country will defeat terrorism. The deep cohesion between the leadership and the people, the vigilance of security forces and the valiant efforts of everyone to preserve this country's security will prevent them from achieving their goals, the King said last month. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was speaking two days after security forces inflicted a major blow against the Al-Qaeda terror network, which has vowed to fight on despite the killing of its chief in Saudi Arabia on June 18. Al-Qaeda cell mastermind Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin was gunned down along with three of his associates after websites posted photos of an American hostage they had beheaded. Police had also found a large cache of weapons in the villa, as well as a number of computers, and documents carrying inscriptions thought to be symbols and nicknames for a number of terrorists. The villa is thought to be connected to the other villa in the capital s Al-Quds district, raided after the Wednesday shootout, where a significant cache of weapons had been found, and one of the rooms was turned into a clinic to treat wounded terrorists. The villa had been found after a widespread operation that combed several districts in the north and east of the capital. The combed districts are Al-Masyaf, Al-Nuzha, Al-Izdihar, Al-Nafal, Al-Aqiq and Al-Wadi north of Riyadh, and Al-Shuhada (formerly known as Hiraa) and Gharnata (Granada) in the east. Police, Special Forces and helicopters took part in the operation. At the villa used by terrorists in the King Fahd district resident Abdul Aziz Al-Sannan said that the terrorists had rented the villa a month ago. The villa is located on a side street that branches out of Prince Mohammed Ibn Abdul Aziz Street, which crosses the neighborhood north to south. Al-Sannan, who lives in another villa right next door to terrorists villa, said he knew the place was occupied only after he heard the air conditioner running. He never saw any of his new neighbours except once, when he was parking his car in front of his neighbours, and one of them came out and shooed him away. He said the man was tall, whitish and had no beard, only a stub. The villas are owned by a late Mohammed Al-Sannan, and were built some 20 years ago. The walls were topped with white sheet metal, typically used in Saudi Arabia to keep prying eyes out. An official source at the Ministry of Interior announced that the terrorist killed in a shootout in Riyadh on is Fahd Ibn Ali Ibn Dakheel Al-Qablan, wanted by security authorities, noting that Private Homoud Ibn Abdullah Al-Harbi was martyred and six security men were injured. In a clarification statement, the source pointed out that security forces spotted a car occupied by a group of individuals, some of whom were carrying weapons and noticed leaving a house in King Fahd suburb in Riyadh city. A security chase followed the incident. The individuals of the deviating group in the car shot at security men leading to injuring a Saudi citizen and three residents. The suspects usurped a citizen's car and fled. Security forces hunted them down and exchanged fire with them. The source added that there are injured among the fugitives of suspects. The source said that security forces seized equipment for forging documents; computers; medical equipment and first aid materials; a plant for preparing explosive devices including explosive mixtures weighing 180 kilograms; 30 kilograms of very high explosive material ''R.D.X.''; materials for making pipe and magnetic bombs; 350 electric capsules, projectile fuses and circuit switches; 41 various bombs; 7 Kalashinkov machine guns ; 14 pistols; various ammunitions encompassing 12,000 rounds; an amount of money of S.R. 34,616; and various false documents. Rocket-propelled-grenades projectiles, a launcher, guns and various ammunitions were also seized. The source indicated that security forces identified a villa frequented by individuals of the deviating group in Al-Worood suburb in Riyadh city. Searching this villa, security forces found out an unidentified white-color material which is under analysis; 24 pipe bombs; electric circuits for exploding the bombs; equipment; documents; pistols; ammunitions and other materials. The source noted in this regard the pardon offer granted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to individuals of this group to repent and surrender to authorities. Meanwhile Minister of Islamic Affairs Saleh Ibn Abdul Aziz Aal Al-Sheikh has urged the imams and preachers and religious scholars to shun deviant ideas and the fatwas of infidelity-labeling and terrorism. Aal Al-Sheikh s comments came in a meeting with religious scholars and imams in Hail, the Arabic daily Al-Riyadh reported on Sunday. It was unclear when the meeting took place. He stressed that imams and orators should adhere to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) course in directing people. He said that religious people should remove any illusions about the deviancy of the terrorists marketing their deviant ideas to young people, especially through the Internet. On the other hand security officers continued late to comb the capital for militants who escaped a police dragnet following the death of a key Al-Qaeda militant in a gun battle the previous day. Law authorities were saying little in the wake of the shootout as they continued to inventory a massive cache of weapons and bomb-making materials. A source close to police said the one dead militant had been tentatively identified as Issa Ibn Oshun, also listed on the Kingdom s most wanted list. The Ministry of Interior refused to comment on the identification. SPA also did not identified the dead extremist. The dead security officer has been identified as Hamoud Al-Harbi, who was just married. At least three civilians were wounded in the crossfire. Security men wounded in the battle are identified as Hamad Al-Omar, Said Al Zahrani, Hindi Al-Subai, Fahd Al-Shamari and Bandar Al Khahtani. Stocks of arms and ammunition were recovered from the militants den. Three RPJ missiles and a number of bombs were recovered from a vehicle, security authorities said. The house, where several terrorists and their families were believed to be residing was completely booby-trapped and full of explosives, enough to cause a major destruction in the entire area, according to security sources. It also said the villa was believed to house the wife of Al-Muqrin. In addition to bomb-making material and equipment, security officers found five separate kitchens and omen s clothing, indicating that families had lived with the terrorists. Also found was a first aid room. Saudi security forces also seized an olive-green Ford car left behind by gunmen in central Riyadh after the men stole a grey Ford from a Saudi citizen and fled. Relatives of the Saudi man said the car was stolen by four gunmen, one of whom was wounded and bleeding. Police searched the abandoned car but no explosives were found. On the other hand Prince Sattam Ibn Abdul Aziz, Vice Governor of Riyadh Region, performed at Imam Turki Mosque in Riyadh funeral prayers for Private 1st Class Homoud Ibn Abdullah Ibn Homoud Al-Harbi who was martyred while security forces were chasing evil doers of the deviating group in Riyadh last Wednesday. Worshippers were led by the Kingdom's Grand Mufti and Chairman of Senior Ulema Commission and Religious Research and Ifta Department Sheikh Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh. Prince Mohammed Ibn Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Interior Minister for Security Affairs, a number of officials, and a group of citizens and residents also performed the prayers. Prince Sattam Ibn Abdul Aziz, Vice Governor of Riyadh Region, performed at Imam Turki Mosque in Riyadh funeral prayers for Private Muslih Ibn Saad Al-Qarni who was martyred while security forces were chasing evil doers of the deviating group in Riyadh. Worshippers were led by the Kingdom's Grand Mufti and Chairman of Senior Ulema Commission and Religious Research and Ifta Department Sheikh Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh. Prince Mohammed Ibn Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Interior Minister for Security Affairs, a number of officials, and a group of citizens also performed the prayers. Prince Sattam also expressed his condolences to the martyr's father. Prince Sattam Ibn Abdul Aziz, Vice Governor of Riyadh Region, congratulated security men on their successes in combating terrorism, hunting down evil doers of the deviating group, and flushing them out of their dens when security men found out a den for making explosives in Riyadh. In a press statement following his performance of funeral prayers for a martyred security man today, Prince Sattam pointed out that the only terrorist who was killed on Wednesday is not Abdullah Al-Rushoud, wanted by security authorities; but he is not less dangerous than him. Prince Sattam denied news that six booby trapped cars were found out and defused by police. Prince Sattam Ibn Abdul Aziz, Vice Governor of Riyadh Region, paid visits to the wounded Private Saad Mifleh Al-Sbaie of the National Guard at King Abdul Aziz Medical City of the National Guard and the wounded Sergeant Majid Zarie Al-Otaibi at King Khalid University Hospital. The two security men were injured while security forces were chasing evil doers of the deviating group in Riyadh. Prince Sattam was accompanied by Prince Mohammed Ibn Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Interior Minister for Security Affairs and a number of officials. During the visits, Prince Sattam was reassured about the health of the two men, wishing them a quick recovery. The Prince stressed that citizens and residents are strongly united against these criminal acts which have nothing to do with the tolerant Islamic Sharia. Meanwhile Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al Sudais the Imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah Al Mukarramah has called on the wanted to go back to history and learn from it. He asked them to take advantage of the month amnesty, go back to their mind, and remember that their deeds only serve the enemy. The Shoura Council discussed in its 20th session, headed by the Council's Chairman Dr Saleh Ibn Abdullah Ibn Humaid, the phenomenon of terrorism and violence that has afflicted a number of societies including the Saudi society. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Council's Secretary General Dr Homoud Ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Badr said the Council was briefed on a report of the Chairman of the Special Committee in Charge of studying the phenomenon of terrorism and violence. The report demonstrated this phenomenon's dimensions, aims and supporters. He also added that the Council is going to continue its discussion on Monday, noting that Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior will attend a forthcoming session. The Shoura Council continued in its 21st session, presided over by the Council's Chairman Dr Salih Ibn Abdullah Ibn Humaid, its discussion of a report of the Special Committee on the phenomenon of terrorism and violence. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Council's Secretary General Dr Homoud Ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Badr said the Council issued a number of regulations on organizing unprecedented experimental surgeries; conducting scientific, medical and experimental search on human beings; and organizing visas for temporary and seasonal jobs.