October 15, 2004

SAUDI SECURITY FORCES DETAIN ONE OF THE WANTED AND KILL THREE PERSONS AMONGST WHOM A MEMBER OF THE FATWAS FOR THE TAKFEER COMMITTEE. PRINCE NAIF IBN ABDUL AZIZ: WE WILL GET RID OF SUCH GROUPS WHO DARE TO TAMPER THE SECURITY OF THE NATION AND BREACH THE LAWS OF ALMIGHTY GOD. PRINCE TURKI AL-FAISAL UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF SEEKING SOLUTIONS TO THE PENDING CONFLICTS IN THE WORLD IN ORDER TO WIPE OUT TERRORISM. SAUDI ARABIA CONDEMNS THE TERRORIST ATTACKS IN TABA AND STRESSES ITS SOLIDARITY WITH EGYPT. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister, received a delegation of a Saudi tribe who came to greet him. Sheikh Hilo bin Abdullah, the representative of the delegation of Alwaibar, a branch of the tribe of Shammar, delivered a speech in which he condemned the criminal acts perpetrated by the deviant group in the Kingdom. Addressing the delegation, Prince Naif thanked them for their feelings. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior, paid courtesy calls on security men who have been hospitalized in King Abdulaziz Medical City of the National Guard and the Security Forces hospital following their injuries during armed confrontations with a group of deviants in Riyadh neighborhood of Al Nahdha. Prince Naif was reassured of the medical care accorded to the injured, wishing them quick recovery. In remarks to reporters following the visits, Prince Naif expressed pride of the high morale of the injured. He said he found them feeling jubilant for the duties they have carried out in defense of their religion and nation. He said security men facing the deviants receive the appreciation and gratitude of their leadership and people and the utmost care, if any of them was physically harmed. Prince Naif reaffirmed that the Saudi security authorities have won the confidence of their leadership, government and people. He expressed hope that it will not take long when this country could get rid of such groups who dare to tamper the security of the nation and breach the laws of Almighty Allah. He urged citizens and expatriates to exert more cooperation with the security authorities, particularly passing of information about any suspicious moves they could suspect. However, we don't request the expatriates anything above their abilities, he explained. Interior Minister Prince Naif, who visited the injured officers in hospital, said the morale of Saudi security forces battling Al-Qaeda militants was very high. "They feel proud of carrying out their national duty," he said, adding that the Saudi leadership holds them in high esteem. During the visits, Prince Naif was accompanied by Prince Mohammed Ibn Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs, and a number of officials. Three members of the deviant group armed with guns and hand grenades were killed in a clash with the Saudi security forces, said an official source at the Interior Ministry. Seven of the security men were wounded in the confrontation with these members of the deviant group, who were hiding on the second floor of a house in Al-Nahda Neighborhood, in Eastern Riyadh. The security men evacuated seven women and a child who were placed at the first floor to be used as shields and to mislead the security forces. The official source pointed out that the security forces surrounded the house after suspecting that men of the deviant group were hiding in it. 'When the security men began searching the house, they came under heavy machine gun fire, said the official source adding that that the attackers also used hand grenades. The security men found weapons and documents in the house, the statement added. A source told Arab News that one of the three terrorists blew himself up when he realized that security officers had cornered him. Arab News also learned that the head of the Special Forces Units, Mudeef Al-Talhi, was slightly injured in the gunbattle. Two of the seven injured police officers have been treated and discharged from hospital. Meanwhile a security spokesman of the interior ministry reported that Yasser Isam Hamdy, a Saudi citizen who has been detained in the United States, was released and arrived in Riyadh. He was received by his family and relatives, the spokesman said. He announced that upon arrival, Isam has voluntarily renounced his American citizenship and hence will be treated according to the Saudi citizenship law. The interior ministry appreciates the cooperation of the United States authorities for facilitating Isam's return to his home country. One of the three militants killed in Tuesday's shootout in Riyadh was on the list of the 26 most wanted terrorists, the Interior Ministry announced. The ministry identified the man as Abdul Majeed Ibn Muhammad Abdullah Al-Munie and said he was wanted for belonging to the deviant group, a term used by authorities for Al-Qaeda militants. Munie and two other men Essam Ibn Muqbil Al-Otaibi and Abdul Hameed ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Yahya were killed in a pre-dawn shootout on Tuesday near a luxury housing compound for foreigners in Riyadh. The action was part of a major crackdown on militants responsible for a series of terror attacks in the Kingdom. "Inquiries have found that Munie took part in killings and was involved in recruiting collaborators to carry out his deviant ideas," the ministry said. Munie was one of the chief ideologues of the Kingdom's Al-Qaeda cell and he was a member of its Shariah Committee. He graduated from the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in 2002 with a "very good" GPA (grade point average). Some of his classmates said that he skipped many classes and even withdrew during some semesters. According to those who knew him, Abdul Majeed was a person who did not mix much with people. His father, Sheikh Muhammad, encouraged him to become a judge but he chose to join the deviant group. The Saudi authorities have been waging a relentless battle to eliminate the threat posed by Al-Qaeda militants. Six men on the wanted list gave themselves up to authorities under a royal amnesty declared by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd on June 23, shortly after the head of Saudi Arabia's Al-Qaeda cell, Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin, was killed. With Munie's death, only 10 of the 26 are still unaccounted for; the others have been killed, surrendered or arrested. Those still on the run include Saleh Al-Aufi, the present commander of Al-Qaeda in the Kingdom, Abdullah Al-Rashoud, Sultan Al-Otaibi, two ideologues of the cell, and Abdul Kareem Al-Majati, the mastermind behind the Casablanca explosions, who is outside the country. On the other hand in London Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland renewed the rejection of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of terrorism and its pledge to continue war on this disgusting phenomenon, stressing that terrorism poses the greatest threat to the world peace and stability. In a speech delivered at the Middle East Affairs Council of the British Conservative Party currently holding its annual conference in southern England, Prince Turki noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had fought wicked terrorism even before September 11 attacks and it will continue its efforts to completely uproot and eradicate terrorism. He indicated that terrorism is disgusting for all peoples, governments including the Saudi and British and various religions comprising Muslims and Christians. Rejecting charges of the Western media that we are conspirators, supporters and financiers to these wicked groups, Prince Turki Al-Faisal said these charges are mere fabrications. He pointed out that the Kingdom has legislated many laws to wipe out the sources of terrorism, calling for uniting all international efforts to combat terrorism. The Saudi government is conducting political and economic reforms, noting in this regard the municipal elections that will be carried out for the first time early next year, the Prince said and indicated that the Kingdom's tends towards information openness of television, broadcasting and journalism. He called for finding a solution to the Palestinian cause in accordance with the Arab peace plan, affirming the Kingdom's support for the Palestinian and Iraqi peoples. Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland took part in the inauguration of the 22nd session of the Conference of the Federation of European Arabists and Specialists in Islam in Poland. Addressing the four-day conference, Prince Turki emphasized the importance of dialogue among various civilizations. He called for the establishment of centers for research on the West at Arab universities to explain to the Arab and Muslim countries the changes taking place in the West. Prince Turki also proposed that these universities grant Arab students scholarships to study the West, its civilization and political and social changes. ''Islamic Sharia has been the base of building process in the Kingdom and it will be so in the process of the reform witnessed by the Kingdom,'' the Prince said. Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the Saudi Ambassador to Britain and Ireland has underscored the importance of seeking solutions to the pending conflicts in the world within the endeavor to wipe out terrorism. In a key address before the German Federal Intelligence Agency conference on terrorism which was held in Berlin last night, Prince Turki said these pending issues are the fuel of terrorists. The ambassador cited the sufferings of the Palestinian people and the state of anarchy and chaos in Iraq as the most important of such issues. In the speech, circulated by the Saudi embassy in London, he underscored the importance of enhancing international political and security cooperation against terrorism at all levels and noted the importance of preventive work through exchanging intelligence information and promoting the notion of understanding among nations and civilizations. On the other hand the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned the recent terrorist act which occurred in Taba, Egypt, a statement issued said. The statement expressed Saudi support for Egypt against all such terrorist acts. Three blasts shocked Egyptian Red Sea resorts, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a statement. A blast ripped through the vicinity of Taba Hotel at 10.15 pm local time, destroying a part of its facade and sparking off fire, read the statement. A burnt-out car and four bodies were found on the scene. Two other blasts also took place in Rass Al Shaitan area on the road linking Taba to Nuwaiba, two Egyptian Red Sea resorts. Another burnt-out car was also found on the scene, said the statement. Casualities were taken to Egyptian and Israeli hospitals across Taba, which is 200 meters far from the Israeli borders. "Initial reports say the suspected perpetrators seek to block efforts to contain the deteriorating situation in the occupied Palestinian territories," read the statement. Minister of Interior Habib Al Adly and South Sinai Governor Mostafa Afifi visited the sites where triple bombings rocked the resort areas. Adly listened to a report by the governor on the latest developments, including the removal of the rubble whether in the hit Taba Hilton or the bungalow resorts of Nuweiba and Al Sultan as well as the losses incurred. The Minister of Interior described the crime as "a despicable act that targeted innocent people." What is the reason for the recurrence of such acts and why they are carried out in such a way, he wondered. The apparent reason behind these acts is to drive Egypt towards shedding off its responsibilities towards its Arab brothers. He emphasized Egypt's commitment towards the Arab countries and causes and its insistence on playing its due role regardless of the pressures. Egypt was first to call for holding an international conference on terrorism and managed to handle the plague in a way that drew the admiration of the whole world, he said. Cairo expects terrorist acts to occur at any time in the country because Egypt is a major supporter for all Arab fair causes, the Palestinian in particular, he said. This stance is certainly irreversible, he said, calling on all countries to close ranks in order to rein in this unruly monster. It is not an issue of security but rather a completely different thing. The Minister of Interior said that Egypt enjoys stability and plays its role in combating terrorism. He said that the Egyptian territories will not become a place for settling accounts or certain stances. Al-Ahram learned that Hilton Hotel blast destroyed ten storeys of the hotel. Initial investigations showed that a four wheel Ford van, having a red colour and carrying 100 kilograms of explosives rammed into the hotel. Initial interrogations and information available to the Ministry of Interior showed that the van was laden with explosives in a place close to the site of bombings and that it was impossible for this car to enter Egypt laden with this quantity of explosives due to the through inspections of cars coming from abroad. Al-Ahram also learned that interrogations were underway with 12 suspects. President Mubarak had ordered dispatching a field aircraft hospital for conveying critical cases which need to be rushed quickly to hospitals. President Mubarak is following up developments in Taba and Nuweiba. The President gave directives to provide all potentials for treatment of the injured persons. Meantime, Egyptian security services have intensified efforts for apprehending the perpetrators of the terrorist blasts which have rocked Taba and Nuweiba. Reports indicate that the number of death toll rose to 34 including nine Egyptians after recovering four other bodies from under the rubble of Taba Hilton hotel. Presidential spokesman Maged Abdel Fattah said it is premature to make conclusions about how explosives reached there, or who was behind the operation and the goal of the blasts. The presidential spokesman, answering a question on whether Taba blasts meant the extension of the cycle of violence between the Palestinians and Israelis to neighboring countries, said it was premature to jump over to final conclusions. On the accusation by Israel of Al-Qaeda organization of committing the incident, he said Egypt believes that this assessment is very hasty. Egyptian authorities are currently investigating suspects who were apprehended during the past two days regarding the assistance they offered to the culprits or collusion with the perpetrators of the three blasts. Al Ahram learned that security services arrested one of Sinai Bedouins who sold the explosives to terrorists. A high level security source told "Al-Ahram" that accusation finger points to some of the suspects who are likely to have been involved in the blasts after getting assistance from some sympathizing Bedouins. Hesham Badawi, the First Attorney General of the Supreme State Security Prosecution made an inspection of the sites of the three blasts. Inspection of Hilton hotel indicated that fifty cars were completely charred and that one third of the building was demolished while the remaining part sustained heavy cracks. Sources said that DNA analysis is currently being made for the bodies to uncover the identity of the culprits. A number of prosecutors would investigate eyewitnesses to get an accurate analysis of the criminals. Reports indicate that the operation was carried out by two suicide bombers who stormed the main hotel gate with a car laden with a big quantity of explosives. The Ministry of Interior said in an official statement that the death toll rose to 34 including 5 Israelis, nine Egyptians and 20 unidentified bodies. The number of injured also jumped to 105. 65 wounded persons were sent to Israel and the remaining left the hospital after they were treated. Dr. Mohamed Awad Taguddin, the Minister of Health said that 30 of the wounded are currently being treated in hospitals adding 13 Israelis were dispatched to Israel. Meantime, Dany Ardity, the chief of the Israeli anti-terrorism office has called on Israelis to return immediately from Sinai for fear of fresh terrorist attacks. He referred to possible plans for new attacks in Sinai. Terrorism combating officials in the United States have expressed doubts that Al-Qaeda organization played an important role in those attacks, referring to punctual implementation of the bombings. Meanwhile the Islamic Jihad Movement denied that Palestinians had any relation to the Taba blasts, holding Israel responsible for such incidents because of its daily crimes against Palestinians. Islamic Jihad leader Khaled Al-Batsh said that all Palestinian factions are keen on keeping the battle ground inside the Palestinian territories and not moving it outside, the US-funded Radio Sawa reported. Al-Batsh held Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his government responsible for the killing, destruction operations carried out against defenseless Palestinians, which he said "push Arab and Muslim youths for revenge". Israeli medical sources claimed earlier that at least 27 were killed and scores others injured in the three blasts which ripped through Hilton Taba hotel and other two resorts in south Sinai. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan condemned the string of attacks that hit several parts of South Sinai night. In a statement, Annan said that acts of terrorism can never be justified. Sinai has been for a long time a symbol of peaceful coexistence in the Middle East, Annan added. He expressed hope the perpetrators would be arrested and brought to justice as soon as possible. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa expressed "shock and dismay" Friday at the series of bombings at Sinai resorts in Egypt. Speaking in Frankfurt, where he conferred with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, the Egyptian-born diplomat said that his heart ached for the victims of what he called "corwardly and callous" terrorists. Fischer echoed his sentiments, saying, "Both of us received this news with a mixture of shock and consternation." EU external relations chief Chris Patten and EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana condemned the triple bombings in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Patten said that the attacks were horrific and were an indication of continued violence in the Middle East. He added that the European Union over the past years has been doing its best to stop Palestinian-Israeli violence. On his part, Solana said that the cycle of violence in the region "must stop". "I want to condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks that took place last night in the sea resort area of Taba," he said in a statement. Many innocent Egyptian workers and Israeli holidaymakers have paid the highest price of a cycle of violence that must stop," he reiterated. The UN Security Council strongly condemned terrorist attacks that rocked Egypt's Red Sea resort in Sinai. The Council expressed sympathy with the victims of the attacks. The council also slammed, in a statement, the terrorist attacks that recently hit Pakistan and the decapitation of the British hostage in Iraq. The council stressed the UN pivotal role in combating international terrorism, calling on world countries to cooperate to arrest accomplices of terrorist acts. The Al-Azhar Permanent Committee for Dialogue among Religions condemned the criminal terrorist operations in Taba which left scores of people dead and wounded. It said that those responsible for these operations are outlaws and saboteurs who work against all teachings of the tolerant and merciful Islamic religion by giving themselves the right to spill the blood of innocent civilians, destroy civilian establishments and wreak havoc all around. The Jordanian government strongly condemned Taba bombings, stressing Amman's keenness on maintaining security and stability in Egypt. In statements carried by Jordanian newspaper Al-Ra'ay of Sunday, Justice Minister and acting official spokesman of the Jordanian government, Dr. Salahedeen Al-Bashir said Jordan strongly denounces terrorism and aggression on civilians. Killing civilians is completely rejected, he said asserting the need to preserve the security of the whole region. The Kuwaiti cabinet denounced at its weekly meeting Sunday under Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah AI-Ahmed AI-Jaber -AI-Sabah Thursday's Taba bombings. The cabinet asserted Kuwait's condemnation of terrorist acts which targeted Taba's Hilton Hotel and two resorts in Nuweiba, Deputy Premier Mohammed Daifallah Sharar said, adding that the cabinet also expressed Kuwait's solidarity with the Egyptian leadership, government and people, and condolences to the families of Egyptian victims in the bombings. He pointed out that Kuwaiti Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber AI-Mubarak briefed the cabinet on the outcome of his recent visit to Egypt, as well as the outcome of his talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Minister of Defense and Military Production Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. Qatar also condemned Taba's bombing. The Qatari news agency said that First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasim AI-Thani sent a cable to his Egyptian counterpart Ahmad Abul-Gheit expressing support to Egypt in facing this tragic event. The Sultanate of Oman has strongly denounced the terrorist explosions that killed innocent people in the Egyptian town of Taba and nearby places. A Foreign Ministry statement said it also condemned the abductions and killings of civilians who travel to Iraq for humanitarian purposes. The statement said the Sultanate considered that what happened in Taba could have happened elsewhere in the world and that such acts reflected the state of tension in the region which witnesses violence and instability. The ministry said the continuing Israeli aggression against Palestinians in Gaza inflamed feelings and would not help in finding solutions that could enhance peace and stability. The Sultanate also condemned the kidnappings and killings of civilians who came to Iraq for humanitarian reasons, including the British citizen Kenneth Bigley. It called on all parties in brotherly Iraq to give priority to the Iraqi people"s interest and resort to dialogue for a free and secure Iraq, the statement said. The EU Foreign Ministers condemned the recent attacks on Egyptian Red Sea resorts. Concluding the meeting of the EU Public Affairs and External Relations Council in Luxembourg, the Ministers condoled with the families of the victims. The Egyptian Cabinet condemned terrorist bombings that rocked sea resorts in Sinai Thursday and claimed many innocent lives. The government reviewed several reports on the three blasts from the Interior, Information, Health and Tourism Ministers, said Cabinet Spokesman Magdi Radi. The Interior Minister's report said booby-trapped cars and highly inflammable substance were used in the attacks. It added that criminal investigators and other technical teams were able to identify the cars used in the bombings. Radi said that the Interior Ministry beefed up security measures in all tourist sites. The Interior Minister's report put the death toll at 33, including 10 Egyptians, said the Cabinet spokesman. The Health Minister's report said that the blast left 159 people injured, almost 124 of them where taken to Israel after contacts from the Israeli side, Radi added. He said that 35 wounded were treated in Egypt and all, expect two, left hospital. The Cabinet reiterated support for President Hosni Mubarak's call in Rome for an international conference on terrorism. It also reaffirmed Egypt's determination to pursue its international and regional role in the peacemaking drive. The Interior Ministry said that a total of 34 people including 11 Israelis, 8 Egyptians, a Russian, 2 Italians and 12 unidentified, were killed in the Taba explosion. A statement by the ministry said that the bodies of five Israelis were moved to Israel and the bodies of eight Egyptians have been identified and handed over to their families. The body of a Russian woman has been handed over to her family, while six Israelis were identified on Sunday and are being handed over to their families. The bodies of the two Italians were identified on Sunday and are also being handed over, while 12 other bodies including seven whole and five remains are currently being identified, the statement added. Prosecutor General Maher Abdel Wahed said that prosecutors are done with questioning the eye witnesses and the injured in the Sinai explosions. Speaking at a press conference, Abdel Wahid said that all bodies have undergone autopsy and DNA tests and forensic experts have inspected the scenes of the triple blasts. He put the final death toll at 34, including 31 at Neweiba, Sharm El-Sheikh and Taba hospitals' morgues. Abdel Wahed also said that the blasts have injured 159 people, including 127 Israelis. Three Israelis died of their wounds while being taken to hospitals in Eilat, he added. The official further said that 26 bodies have been identified as Egyptians, Italians, Israelis, Russians and Americans, while eight others remain unidentified. Thirty-five persons, including 24 Egyptians, are being treated now at Egyptian hospitals, he added. He said that 11 others are Israelis, Russians, Americans and Swiss. On other hand the United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution condemning "all acts of terrorism irrespective of their motivation, wherever and by whomsoever committed, as one of the most serious threats to peace and security." The resolution was adopted a day after terrorists set off bombs at Taba and two other Egyptian resorts on the Red Sea. Those attacks killed nearly three dozen people, including Israelis, Egyptians and Europeans. The U-N resolution had been introduced in September by Russia in the wake of the terrorist takeover of a school in the town of Beslan. In that incident, more than three-hundred people were killed, about half of them children. The resolution calls on all U-N member states to cooperate fully in the fight against terrorism. The resolution also calls for more effective measures to keep weapons from terrorists, freeze their financial assets, prevent their movement across borders, and bring them to justice. But the key element in the resolution, says John Danforth U.S. Ambassador to the U-N, "is the statement unanimously made that targeting civilians is off limits. . . .a statement of very, very clear principle." Meanwhile the body of Kenneth Bigley, the British engineer killed by his kidnappers last week after three weeks in captivity, was dumped south of Baghdad, it emerged. Mr Bigley was beheaded by followers of Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi last Thursday, and a videotape of the killing was handed to an Arabic television channel. The Foreign Office could not confirm reports that his body had been dumped just outside Baghdad and would say only that British officials were still trying to locate it. In the Commons, Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, confirmed that at the beginning of last week an individual had approached the British Embassy in Baghdad offering to be an intermediary with Mr Bigley's captors. Mr Straw said: "At no stage did they abandon their demands relating to the release of women prisoners, even though they were well aware that there are no women prisoners in British custody in Iraq." The communications were "fully in line with the government's approach to kidnapping - that while ready to receive messages from kidnappers, we cannot negotiate with them".