Suggestion of mediation between Islamists for enhancing security in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia-USA, Politics, 11/11/2003

News reports said that a group of scholars in Saudi Arabia will propose mediation between the Saudi Arabian authorities and the Islamist activists in order to prevent the occurrence of new attacks in the kingdom.

A booby trapped car explosion in the residential al-Mahya complex in aRiyadh on Sunday evening resulted in killing 17 persons and wounding 122 and among the killing are 13 Arab citizens while the nationality of the other four was not identified.

Sheikh Abdullah Nasser al-Subeihi, the psychology teacher at Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University, said that a group of scholars and men of religion in the kingdom " are currently seeking to find out a sort of dialogue between the government on the one hand and between the youths who carried out acts of violence with the aim to end bloodshed the Kingdom exposed to."

Al-Subeihi, one of the persons involved in this initiative, added that "it is an initiative to find out a sort of understanding from the two sides, the government and the youths chased by it." Replying to a question on whether Riyadh accepts dialogue with those "wanted by the justice," al-Subeihi said that the mediation is still in its beginning. He expressed conviction that dialogue with those youths will not undermine the state's sovereignty because the aim is to find "a place for the mind in dealing with the crisis." In the same context, Saudi Arabia reinforced its security measures yesterday amid fears of further attacks similar to to those of the Riyadh explosion.

Security men equipped with weapons closed ways leading to the residential complex which was exposed to the attack on Sunday at dawn, inhabited by majority of Arabs working in Saudi Arabia, whereas security measures were reinforced around complexes inhabited by western foreigners.

In the course of preventive measures, the Saudi authorities reinforced its security forces and deployed some 5,000 soldiers and policemen in Mecca in order to protect worshippers whose number tolls 2.5 million during the holy month of Ramadan.

Meantime, the US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said that Washington is determined to continue working with the Saudi authorities against what it called terrorism.

Armitage had the same position as the Saudi officials in holding al-Qaida organization responsible for the explosion. Armeitaj warned the Saudi leaders in a televised interview that al-Qaida organization seeks to down the ruling family in Saudi Arabia." He warned that al-Riyadh's explosion will not be the last of its kind.

However, the Saudi ambassador to Washington Prince Bandar Bin Sultan ruled out that what he described that terrorists will be able to destabilize the Kingdom. He stressed that Saudi Arabia is "waging a war against those terrorists."

Previous Stories:
  Riyadh bombers disguised as security men   (11/10/2003)
  One persons killed, 8 injured in clashes in Riyadh; Two wanted persons blew up themselves in Mecca   (11/8/2003)
  Riyadh accuses al-Qaida of being behind Mecca clashes   (11/5/2003)
  Washington expects attacks on Saudi Arabia air targets   (10/29/2003)
  Washington calls Riyadh to speed reforms, Saudi demonstrations foiled   (10/24/2003)
  FBI members increased in Riyadh   (10/3/2003)

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