InfoAnda - Saudi more secure after 2003-2006 wave of attacks

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Hokey hockey musical kicks off Toronto film fest | 10 September 2010
Toyota CEO to break silence amid recall crisis | 5 February 2010
Katy Perry and Eminem lead U.S. singles chart | 2 July 2010

Paris collections get off to a minimalist start | 2 March 2011

">Forum Views () ">Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Saudi more secure after 2003-2006 wave of attacks

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Asia Pacific World Search Search: Saudi more secure after 2003-2006 wave of attacks AFP - Tuesday, April 28 RIYADH (AFP) - - Six years ago, on May 12, 2003, Al-Qaeda opened a new front in its terror campaign by bombing three expatriate housing compounds in the Saudi capital Riyadh, killing 35 people. ADVERTISEMENT Today the country is calm again and the streets fairly safe. Domestic and foreign security experts say the government's intense efforts to round up anyone associated with extremist Islamic ideology, and to refocus intelligence gathering from pro-democracy activists to jihadist militants, have borne fruit. The 2003 bombing was the beginning of a series of attacks inside the kingdom that killed scores of foreigners and Saudis, and it jolted the government out of its complacency that Al-Qaeda had only the United States and Europe in its sights. Scores of militants, including key cell leaders, were killed between 2003 and 2006, and many hundreds more were rounded up. "In three years, we were able to destroy the Al-Qaeda operations in the kingdom," interior ministry spokesman General Mansur al-Turki told AFP. The current threat to the country is no more or less than in western Europe or the United States, said a foreign security expert. Al-Qaeda followers who remain in hiding in Saudi Arabia are probably very few, with no ability to mount the kind of spectacular attacks they did in 2003, experts believe. The Saudis "lost face" with the 2003 bombings, after having denied any link to the September 11 attacks in the United States, in which 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, said one foreign diplomat. The government had to embark on a comprehensive campaign not only to root out associates of Al-Qaeda, but also to prevent access to its ideology. Jihadist books, tapes and other materials have been eradicated from the market. On the Internet, jihadist and Al-Qaeda websites are the main focus of government blocking programs. The interior ministry now has intense electronic eavesdropping capabilities. It closely monitors clerics and has a team which works the Internet chatrooms in a bid to counter jihadist ideology. Stridently promoting "awareness", it now publicises arrests to let the public know that there is still a threat. This makes it harder for Al-Qaeda to rebuild its cells and networks, according to diplomats. "The Saudis are very successful now in drying up the financial sources of the terrorists," said one. No one doubts that extremists could still be in hiding inside the country, however. "You are dealing with suicide attackers," said General Yussef Mansur of the General Intelligence Directorate. "You don't know when these people will attack." The murder of three French men and a 17-year-old boy near Medina in February 2007 highlighted that a threat still exists, but also demonstrated how much weaker Al-Qaeda is. The four, part of a group of nine that was returning from visiting ruins in the north, had stopped at the side of a well-travelled road for a picnic. By accident, they were spotted by a militant who had avoided being picked up during the 2003-2006 wave of attacks. He had been on his way to practise shooting with two rusty old Kalashnikov assault rifles in the desert, according to a source knowledgeable about the case. The man called three friends and they drove up to the French group and shot the four. There was no plan, no links to any larger gang, and indeed one of the guns misfired, the source added. Riyadh's focus is now on Yemen, a poor country to the south, where Saudis suspect known militants and a handful of Guantanamo returnees have fled and where the Saudi branch of Al-Qaeda has reportedly merged with the Yemeni counterpart to become Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). A Saudi ex-Guantanamo detainee, Said al-Shihri, is now thought to be the AQAP's number two and is believed to be plotting attacks on his homeland. In early April, the Saudis announced they had arrested a cell of 11 men near the Yemeni border who had been stockpiling weapons and food in a mountain cave. The men, said to be Al-Qaeda followers, were planning to attack security officials and stage robberies to raise money, according to the authorities. However General Turki pointed out that those held were all men in their 30s and 40s, with no young people -- a sign, he said, of success at blocking recruitment. Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Recommend this article 0 users recommend Sign in to recommend this article » Most Recommended Stories » Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle US-ENTERTAINMENT SummaryReuters - 1 hour 15 minutes ago U.S. top court upholds TV profanity crackdownReuters - 1 hour 15 minutes ago Amanda Peet embarks on "Gulliver's Travels"Reuters - Wednesday, April 29 Russell Brand to star in 'Drop Dead Fred' redoReuters - Wednesday, April 29 Talent agencies William Morris, Endeavor mergeAP - Wednesday, April 29 Enlarge Photo View of al-Hamra compound on the outskirts of Riyadh, pictured in 2004, a year after Al-Qaeda bombed it. The 2003 bombing was the beginning of a series of attacks inside the kingdom that killed scores of foreigners and Saudis, and it jolted the government out of its complacency that Al-Qaeda had only the US and Europe in its sights. Most Popular – Entertainment Viewed Swine flu spreads economic shivers GM, Chrysler in moves to avert bankruptcy 'Golden Girls' Beatrice Arthur, dead at 86 Deutsche Bank posts strong results GM seeks to trade debt for stock to avoid bankruptcy View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Moderate earthquake shakes southern Mexico | International |
Darfur is now a low-intensity conflict: U.N | International |
Samsung plans first Android phone for Europe | Technology |
FTC says Internet firms near last chance | Technology |
The Dead come alive at Madison Square Garden | Entertainment |
Geena Davis makes independent film debut at Tribeca | Entertainment |
Michael Keaton to debut as feature film director | Entertainment |
New York Dolls still rocking to their own beat | Entertainment |
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past a true terror | Entertainment |
Fear a high school reunion? Hire a stripper | Entertainment |
World battles to curb deadly Mexico flu strain | International |
Israel marks Memorial Day as peace remains elusive
Mexico City stays on feet despite flu crisis | International |
Learning from SARS, China vows swift flu reporting | International |
Iraq doubts possibility of keeping US in cities
Peru grants asylum to Venezuelan opposition leader | International |
Hamas, Fatah in Cairo in 'last' bid to end feud
Deutsche Bank posts strong results
CORRECTED
Japan, China summit to focus on positive, not feuds | International |
GM, Chrysler in moves to avert bankruptcy
Clamour in Iraq for justice over deadly U.S. raid
Fed to maintain support for struggling economy
Holocaust denier jailed for 5 years in Austria | International |
Abbas refuses to recognise Israel as Jewish state
GM seeks to trade debt for stock to avoid bankruptcy
Paraguayans glued to presidential paternity scandal | International |
British PM touts anti-terror strategy
US 'ready to lead' climate change fight: Clinton
Brown takes new strategy to Afghanistan, Pakistan | International |
Obama keeps climate pledge, but Congress is key
No stopping Deccan Chargers in IPL
US 'ready to lead' climate change fight: Clinton
HP unveils ProBook laptop line | Technology |
Cablevision rolls out super-fast Internet access | Technology |
2009 MacArthur nonprofit grant recipients
US-TECH Summary
MacArthur annual grants go to 9 nonprofits
What cereal are you? Job interview queries on Web | Technology |
Cablevision rolls out super-fast Internet access
Thomson gets more time to settle record debt
Tornado damages school, homes in Texas
HP unveils ProBook laptop line
US reaction to swine flu more muted than elsewhere
Carla stars in Sarkozy state visit to Spain
Apple sued for stifling iPod tricks
Fiancee loves Craigslist suspect, but wedding off?
IBM computer to take on humans on TV quiz show
Judge upholds $100M Mattel verdict over Bratz
Child rapist cult leader escapes jail in chopper
US Army enlists Facebook, Twitter
Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders to 'talk peace' in May
Democrats announce agreement on budget pact
GE unveils storage technology breakthrough
Belarus leader meets Pope in landmark trip
Swedish Internet firm to delete user data
Leno back on the stage, joking about his illness
Samsung plans first Android phone for Europe
US-TECH Summary
HP unveils ProBook laptop line
Samsung plans first Android phone for Europe
Wolverine Mexico release delayed by swine flu | Entertainment |
China delays weapons verdict for "living Buddha"
ABC in talks to renew Scrubs | Entertainment |
Nine killed in Thailand's restive south: police
For some, TV cures loneliness | Entertainment |
Flaming Lips prepare for Oklahoma honor | Entertainment |
Australia takes 'hard-line' position on Fiji: PM
Japan FM says Indiana Jones trivialises nuke threat
Lions Gate signs distribution deal | Entertainment |
9 killed by suspected insurgents in Thailand
Human Rights Watch calls on Malaysia to end abuses
Sri Lanka shelling civilian areas: Tiger rebels
Refugees kids in Malaysia help Burma storm victims
Fijian police detain 6 under emergency rule
Tempe goes Hollywood for 'Wolverine' premiere
Asia ramps up flu protection
Fox reschedules "Sit Down, Shut Up"
Two big Hollywood talent agencies merge
India's Cipla says ready to supply flu drug copy
Honda Motor reports 1.9 bln dlr loss for Q4
Honda 4Q, fiscal year profits plunge, beats target
Japan Airlines sees 656 mln dollar annual loss
For some, TV cures loneliness
Palestinian theatre offers youths a breath of freedom
Citigroup to sell Japan assets to SMFG: report
Tempe goes Hollywood for 'Wolverine' premiere
RPT-UPDATE 2-S.Korea April consumer sentiment at 1-yr high
Leno back on the stage, joking about his illness
Worst over for Japanese economy: business chief
Tourists, hunters in quest for Iceland's whales
Seoul shares sink on U.S. bank report; techs fall
ABC in talks to renew Scrubs
China's loan growth remains strong in April
Snoop Dogg testifies in civil trial
US protectionism growing, says China trade chief
Fox reschedules "Sit Down, Shut Up"
Flaming Lips prepare for Oklahoma honor
Ohio city hands out tickets for free Leno shows
Pakistan begins new offensive against Taliban | International |
Iraq seizes group accused of car bombings
U.N. tells Sri Lanka president of casualty concerns | International |
Iraq shows 1st picture of suspected insurgent
Across Asia, mood calm but wary in face of swine flu threat | International |
Barak: Netanyahu will bend on Palestinian state
Iraq seizes group accused of car bombings | International |
Pope hears victims' silent cry in quake zone | International |
Afghan unrest kills five police, 12 militants
BP profit tumbles 62% on sliding oil prices
Court clears 3 men of plotting London 7/7 bombings | International |
Presidential hopeful says Ahmadinejad isolated Iran | International |
Somali gunmen free two European aid workers | International |
Egypt puts the bite on Gaza tunnel smugglers | International |
Lawmakers advancing much of Obama's budget agenda
Online gambling bill coming: Frank | Technology |
Iran denies jailed US journalist on hunger strike
IBM, Brocade boost ties as Cisco rivalry heats up | Technology |
Jump in consumer confidence lifts Wall Street
Conficker worm dabbling with mischief
Nokia drops U.S. operator billing from Ovi launch | Technology |
AP NewsAlert
Japan, China eye cooperation on mobile services
Recriminations after NYC jet flyover photo op
Japan, China may jointly develop mobile network
First lady to honor abolitionist Sojourner Truth
Trio cleared of involvement in London bombings
Colombian drug baron gets 30 years in US prison
Samsung plans first Android phone for Europe | Technology |
FDA approves emergency rules for antiviral drugs
Japan, China eye cooperation on mobile services | Technology |
EU court backs return of northern Cyprus property
Flush with class: Tenn. bathroom voted best in US
Somali gunmen free Belgian, Dutch aid workers
Lockerbie bomber begins appeal
Pope urges 'rebirth' of Italian quake zone
Richard Pratt, cardboard king, dies in Australia
Sri Lanka snubs Sweden as tensions over war mount
U.S. top court upholds TV profanity crackdown | Entertainment |
Doctors say suspect in Mumbai attacks is over 20
Shelling reported in Sri Lankan war zone
Russell Brand to star in Drop Dead Fred redo | Entertainment |
Singaporean gets for 18 yrs jail on terror charges
Amanda Peet embarks on Gulliver's Travels | Entertainment |
Swine flu spreads, containment seen as 'unfeasible'
Pakistan vows action if Taliban don't exit Buner
Separatists kill ten in southern Thailand
Report: Sumitomo Mitsui, Citigroup near deal
New Zealand confirms swine flu
Asia-Pacific airlines post $4.3 bln losses in 2008
Myanmar opposition to decide later about 2010 poll
Swine flu keeps investors, businesses on edge
Talent agencies William Morris, Endeavor merge
China Shenhua Energy's 1Q profit up 17.2 percent
Bank of China's 1Q net profit falls 14 percent
Swine flu keeps Asia businesses, investors on edge
NTT DoCoMo's annual profit falls 3.9 percent
4 vie for British art's contentious Turner Prize
Taiwan dollar slides on stocks, swine flu fears
Amanda Peet embarks on "Gulliver's Travels"
China shares mixed on lending growth jitters
Russell Brand to star in 'Drop Dead Fred' redo
Talent agencies William Morris, Endeavor merge
Japan's hospitals slam doors on emergency cases
Saudi more secure after 2003-2006 wave of attacks
Singaporean man gets 18 years on terror charges
Indonesian military plane makes emergency landing
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01