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Subject: Bombing in Ryadh
ZbigX    11/8/2003 8:43:33 PM
Apparently the Al Quaeda/Wahabbist faction bombed another compound in the Saudi capital tonight. Reports are there were few westerners at the site and the victims are mostly Arabs. Tragically many of those wounded killed may turn out to be children. Likely the Saudi people will be reeling from this event more so than the first compound bombing. Did AQ make a mistake not knowing there were fellow Arabs there or is this a deliberate change in tactics? More interesting would be there reactions if in response to this event: i) Americans went out and danced in the streets like Arabs did after 9/11. ii) Held a fund raiser for the families of the suicide bombers martyred in the cause. Obviously I'm not advocating either actions, but my guess is that the Saudi government and more importantly the average citizen will start t realize that they are now harvesting the rows of Wahabbist corn sowed over the years. And all those years after bombing barracks, embassies, ships and they lectured us going after Bin Laden was just making him more popular in the "Arab Street". I could almost laugh out of the sheer irony of it all but then of course that would make me just like them.
 
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giblets    RE:Bombing in Ryadh   11/9/2003 8:38:48 AM
I think the compund in question may have been owned by Boeing, don't quote me though, think you are right about the type of casualty, young Muslim children. Sure Al-Qaida are going ona PR exercise to win over moderate muslims, espcially after tha arms cache was found in Mekkah. Apparently a number of the Al-Qaida people who have been named, were done so by their own families which I guess is a good sign for the kind of support Al-Qaida get from the General Saudi Public.
 
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Ex-pat2    RE:Bombing in Ryadh   11/9/2003 9:02:12 PM
At one time, 4 years or so ago, Boeing "leased" that compound for some of its employees. It has since housed mostly non-Saudi, Middle Eastern (with a smattering of European) contract employees. It could just be an Al Queda statement against foreign workers in general - which is a sore-point among many unemployed Saudis (prime recruiting pool). It was also a much softer target than the compounds housing predominently Western/U.S. contractors (which understandably has upped it's security measures since the last bombing). In any event, the chickens are coming home to roost for the House of Saud. Al Queda must be confident that this enhances them among their recruitment base. Using the Bush admin spin of reverse logic, this could only be "good" news if it gets worse - as it would show "desperation". But if this is an example of Vinnell trained security forces in Saudi Arabia, it don't bode well for any better results coming from Vinnell's efforts in Iraq.
 
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giblets    RE:Bombing in Ryadh   11/10/2003 5:15:13 AM
I think it has mostly been said already, BIG MISTAKE, the saudi government does not like it, nor do the people. Even after they attacked Al-Hamra in May, many local saudis were naming their own family, now they have started attacking fellow innocent muslims in the Holly month, and were planning on doing something in Mecca, the tide is going to turn even more against them, and they will be hopefully thrown out of the country there too,leaving them with ...Pakistan.
 
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