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The War On Terror: Enemy
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Al Qaeda Under Siege at Home
by James Dunnigan
April 7, 2005
Discussion Board on this DLS topic
After a three day siege, and lots of gunfire, Saudi Arabian police killed 14 Al
Qaeda terrorists, including international fugitive, Moroccan Abdulkarim al
Mejjati, and captured six alive. Another al Qaeda leader was killed as well. The
battle took place 320 kilometers north of the capital. The police suffered 14
wounded. Al Mejjati planned and carried out a major 2003 attack in Morocco, and
was involved in the 2004 Madrid bombing as well. He was one of the 26 most
wanted terrorists in Saudi Arabia, and security officials believed he had fled
the country. But there are few places for known al Qaeda members to hide, and
travel is difficult as well.
Saudi Arabia has one of the largest
concentrations of Islamic radicals on the planet, and for decades it was a place
where al Qaeda members could hide, if they kept quiet. But al Qaeda began a
series of terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia after the United States invaded Iraq
two years ago, and brought themselves into direct conflict with the Saudi
Arabian government. This war has not gone well for al Qaeda. The attacks killed
mostly Moslems, and many Saudi Arabians as well. This turned most Saudis against
the terrorists, despite the Islamic conservatism of most of the population. In
the last two years, about a hundred terrorists, and 39 policemen, have been
killed. Early on, Saudi Arabia drew up a list of the 26 most wanted terrorists.
Only three of these are still at large.
Most Saudis are still against the
American liberation of Iraq, and agree with many of al Qaeda’s goals (driving
infidels out the Middle East, destroy Israel and convert the world to Islam.)
But Saudis are even more hostile to anyone who stages threatens their personal
safety. The Saudi police and intelligence services have received a constant
stream of tips on suspected al Qaeda activity. Hundreds of young Saudi men have
gone to Iraq to fight, despite increased border security and arrests of many who
were found out before they could get across the border. The pro-al Qaeda
attitudes are common throughout the Persian Gulf. None of the countries in the
region back terrorism, even though they have not seen as much violence as Saudi
Arabia. But the result has been unprecedented cooperation to track and arrest
Islamic terrorists. This is done quietly, with suspects being quietly arrested
and extradited to their native lands. Information is exchanged as well. The home
of Islamic terrorism has become a very hostile place for Islamic
terrorists.
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See Jim Dunnigan's interviewed about his latest book The Perfect Soldier on ireadnet.com
The Perfect Soldier: Special Operations, Commandos, and the Future of Us Warfare by James F. Dunnigan
More Books by James Dunnigan |
