Saudi Arabia foils 220 terror acts

Saudi Arabia foils 220 terror acts

Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Prince Naif receives Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, deputy premier minister of Interior of the United Arab Emirates, at the Conferences Palace in Jeddah Sunday evening. During the meeting both the leaders discussed topics of common interest between the two countries (SPA)

By MUHAMMAD HUMAIDAN | ARAB NEWS

Published: Jun 7, 2010 00:42 Updated: Jun 7, 2010 00:42

JEDDAH: Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Prince Naif has commended the country's security forces for their braveness in confronting domestic terrorism.

"Thanks to Almighty Allah, our brave security men have confronted the deviant groups and their criminal deeds in a scientific and practical manner and successfully stopped 220 criminal attempts and arrested its perpetrators and their supporters," Naif said while receiving Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Zainal Alireza and Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry Chairman Saleh Kamel at his office late Saturday.

Prince Naif wondered how a Saudi citizen could be against his homeland and fellow countrymen or justify the killing of innocent people.

"How can a Saudi in a foreign country set off a bomb and kill innocent people?" Prince Naif asked.

The prince warned that Saudi Arabia was still a target. "So we are going ahead with the same strength and determination to confront them," the prince said, stressing that the citizen is always the first defense against terrorism.

London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported Sunday that Hailah Al-Qusayyer, a woman terror suspect arrested in Buraidah recently, was the most active Al-Qaeda operative in the Kingdom. She recruited a number of women and children for the terror outfit. It was in a bid to seek her release that Saeed Al-Shahri, the Saudi Al-Qaeda commander in Yemen, issued a threat to kidnap and assassinate Saudi princes, security officers and ministers a few days ago, the report said. She also called for the abduction of Christians in the Kingdom. Hailah, who is in her late 30s, was a known preacher while pursuing studies at Qassim University.

"The two explosive belts that were found with the two youths, Yusuf Al-Shahri and Raed Al-Harbi, who figured in the list of 85 wanted terror suspects, when they were arrested close to the Yemen border in Jazan province in October, were meant for Hailah. She had two men ready for suicide operations and they were just waiting for the belts," the report said.

It was also reported that Hailah had organized a function at her home in honor of the young man who blew himself up at the residence of Prince Muhammad bin Naif, assistant minister of interior for security affairs, in Jeddah in August.

In the meeting Prince Naif had with the ministers, he also stressed the role of businessmen in creating job opportunities for young men, particularly for those who return from abroad after higher studies. He called on businessmen to work in coordination with various ministries to create jobs.

The prince demanded that businessmen not hike the prices of goods and said they should be content with a reasonable profit margin.