Jordanian intelligence kidnap of a Saudi official from Iraq
Saudi Arabia-Jordan, Politics, 11/12/2003

Jordanian intelligence officers kidnapped the Saudi political opposition Faisal Naji Hammoud al-Balawi who left the kingdom on the board of a plane high-jacked to Iraq accompanied by his colleagues Aesh Ali Hussein al-Freidi.

A source close to al-Balawi, asked to stay anonymous, said that the Jordanian officers kidnapped al-Balawi from one of Baghdad's streets in which he was living since the year 2000 and handed him over to the Saudi authorities. The source expressed fears over the life of al-Balawi who is now held in one of the kingdom's prisons.

News reports quoted two independent sources as saying that the government of Saudi Arabia financed the kidnapping operations exploiting the deteriorated security conditions in Baghdad and the absence of tightened security measures on the border between Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. One Saudi citizen lives in Iraq, who asked to be anonymous, disclosed news on returning al-Balawi back home in October.

Al-Balawi ( 29 year old) and his colleague al-Freedi -- from the Saudi human rights center which takes London as a headquarters -- who took part with him in high jacking the Saudi plane, earlier this year asked for the human rights center help to get political asylum in one of the west European states after the collapse of the Iraqi government and the deterioration of security conditions in Baghdad.

The director of the center Abdul Aziz al-Jhamis said in a statement he recommended the two Saudi opposition members to surrender themselves to any European country and that he had promised to give them support. But officers of the Jordanian intelligence kidnapped al-Balawi after he had given information about his residence and ways to contact him and smuggled him to Saudi Arabia.

Another source said that each Jordanian officer got USD 5,000 for their illegal services. It is not known yet if the Jordanian officers gave their services voluntarily or they were assigned to that mission at official directives from their government in collaboration with the Saudi authorities.

Al-Khamis also denied any Saudi- Jordanian cooperation at the official level, stressing that al-Balawi and al-Freedi are considered criminals, according to the international law. However, Faisal al-Balawi and Aesh al-Freedi entered into Iraq after they had high-jacked in October 2000 a Saudi Boeing 777 plane while heading for London. The two high-jackers asked the pilot to change the path of the plane to Damascus before they had changed their minds and forced him to land in Baghdad.

The Iraqi authorities then were able to free all passengers and sent them sound and safe to Saudi Arabia while they gave political asylum to the two Saudi opposition members, at their own request. The two men said then that they made this operation to attract the attention of the world public opinion over the human right violations in Saudi Arabia, as they alleged.

Previous Stories:
  Riyadh: Saudi embassy denies links to terrorist cells discovered in Jordan   (9/16/2003)
  Jordanian - Saudi military talks   (7/8/2003)
  Riyadh does not rule out Saudis participation in Maan riots   (11/22/2002)
  Saudi Arabia wants the highjackers of Saudi plane to Iraq   (10/19/2002)
  Iraq denies mediation for reconciliation with Saudi Arabia   (1/17/2001)
  Baghdad refuses to hand over highjackers of Saudi plane   (10/18/2000)

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