Why Saudis take firmer stance on terror

When Saudi Arabia's Prince Saud al-Faisal flew to Washington this week for a hastily arranged meeting with President Bush, it suggested the new urgency with which the kingdom is treating both terrorism and faltering relations with the US.

Even though Prince Faisal didn't get his desired result - Mr. Bush said he would not declassify parts of the congressional report on Sept. 11 that reportedly discuss Saudi involvement - the prince's spirited request demonstrates how his country is taking a more aggressive stance in fighting terror.

Until recently, government officials and experts say, Saudi Arabia has quietly provided some assistance to the US war on terror. But at the same time, in an effort to quell its restive population, it has heavily criticized American foreign policy. And the regime has been reticent to allow Americans to participate in any investigations inside Saudi Arabia, home to 15 of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers.

That equation is changing - largely due to the May 12 suicide bomb attacks on three residential areas of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in which 35 people were killed, including eight Americans. It is also due to the growing chorus of criticism - from members of Congress to government officials - about Saudi Arabia's interaction with extremists.

"May 12 to Saudi Arabia was what 9/11 was to the US," says Rohan Gunaratna, an expert on terrorism and author of "Inside Al Qaeda." "No government will target a terrorist group unless and until it perceives that the group is posing a direct and immediate threat to it."

Some Saudi officials themselves have drawn similar conclusions. "May 12 maybe was not the same in terms of magnitude, but in shock value, certainly," says Nail al-Jubeir, director of the information office at the Saudi Embassy in Washington. "It brought terrorism home and helped change the mind-set of the people."

Since then, Mr. Jubeir adds, Saudi citizens are behind the government campaign to target terrorists and curb donations to any charities or groups that may help them.

Since May 12, the Saudi government says it has:

• Arrested some 140 terror suspects and killed several others, including Yousif Salih Fahad al-Ayeeri, a major Al Qaeda operational planner and fundraiser, and Turki Nasser Mishaal Aldandany, another top Al Qaeda operative and mastermind of the May 12 bombings.

• Confiscated hundreds of bags of explosives for use in bombs, hand grenades, and other equipment.

• Arrested hundreds of imams, including three clerics who called for public support for the terrorists responsible for the Riyadh bombings, fired 300, and sent some 1,000 back to be re-educated.

• Instituted stricter measures on banks for transferring money out of the country.

Page: 1 | 2