Saudi opposition calls for demonstration tomorrow

The Islamic movement for reform ( al-Haraka al-Islameyah Lel Islah ) in Saudi Arabia which takes London as a headquarters has called for organizing new demonstrations tomorrow ( Thursday ) in several Saudi cities.

The spokesman for the movement Saad al-Faqih called in a telephone interview from London for "organizing these demonstrations in Riyadh and Jeddah, al-Dammam, Tabbouk, al-Ihsaa, Breida, Hael, Sakkaka, al-Baha and Tabouk in order to allow greater opportunity for major members of citizens to condemn corruption and repression in the Kingdom."

He added "in order to avoid repression, the movement called on citizens to gather in certain mosques before heading for adjoining public squares." Hundreds of persons gathered last Tuesday in the downtown of Riyadh in a rare political move in the Kingdom, at the invitation of the same movement. The Saudi riot fighting forces interfered to disperse the demonstrators by sticks and 154 persons were detained.

Meantime, a high ranking Saudi security official said that the terrorists, the Saudi authorities announced to have had arrested, were planning suicide operations similar to the attack of Riyadh. On Monday evening, Saudi Arabia's ministry of the interior announced arresting persons it was chasing, accused of terrorism and the discovery of shelters for weapons and ammunition in Riyadh and Jeddah.

The Saudi security official said that the detainees were trained in Afghanistan with al-Qaida organization and stressed that "for the first time, the security forces found explosive belts, which indicates that the detainees were preparing to carry out suicide operations similar to the Riyadh explosions of May 12," which resulted in killing 35 persons. The spokesman for the Saudi ministry of the interior did not specify the number of the detainees nor the date of their detention and confined to remarking that the individuals are 'wanted persons' because of their links to terrorism, that were arrested."