Sunday, 6 February 2005RIYADH - Saudi Arabia has vowed to fight terrorism to the end but warns that the war against al Qaeda militants in the world's biggest oil exporter will be bitter and long.
"I know that terrorism will not go away overnight and our war against terrorism will be long and bitter," de facto ruler Crown Prince Abdullah told an international security conference designed in part to showcase Saudi successes and cooperation with the West.
"Terrorism increases in ferocity and violence the more the noose tightens round its neck, but I trust the final result will be victory, tolerance, love and peace," Abdullah told counter-terrorism officials from more than 50 countries.
Speakers at the formal opening session all condemned terrorism but none made direct reference to Saudi-born Osama bin Laden or his al Qaeda network which was behind the September 11 attacks on U.S. cities and blamed for a wave of attacks in Africa, Europe and Asia.
Most of the September 11 hijackers were Saudis and Riyadh was widely criticised for dragging its feet in the battle against al Qaeda. But diplomats said it stepped up efforts after triple suicide bombings at expatriate housing
compounds in Riyadh killed 35 people, mainly foreigners, in May 2003.
Frances Townsend, homeland security adviser to President George W. Bush, praised what she said was Saudi Arabia's increasingly effective response and improved cooperation with Washington.
"The Saudis really are making substantial progress," Townsend told reporters.
She said al Qaeda attacks in December on the U.S. consulate in Jeddah and the Interior Ministry in Riyadh were both 'fairly rudimentary and poorly planned', and the authorities' response had been swift, aggressive and successful.
"With the resources the Saudis have put into it, I think it becomes increasingly difficult for the (militant) cells here in the Saudi kingdom to reconstitute themselves," said Townsend, who also praised Muslim leaders in the cradle of
Islam for publicly condemning terrorism.
GLOBAL CENTRE
In his address to delegates in a palatial conference hall on the outskirts of Riyadh, Abdullah declared: "We are in a war against terrorism and whoever supports it and justifies it."
He urged countries to set up a global centre to exchange information and to expand the fight. "It is difficult to win in
our war if it does not include the criminal networks of arms and drugs smuggling, and money laundering," Abdullah said.
The conference takes place less than six weeks after an al Qaeda suicide bomber blew up a car outside the Saudi Interior Ministry, the nerve centre of its battle against militants.
Interior Minister Prince Nayef said there had been 22 attacks in the kingdom in the last two years which killed 90
civilians and 39 members of the security forces and resulted in 1 billion riyals in material damage. He said police
had killed 92 militants during that period.
HIGH ALERT
Extra security in Riyadh, which has been on high alert for nearly two years, was visible across the capital on
Saturday. Security forces manned roadblocks and special forces in black balaclavas guarded delegates.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a message delivered by an envoy, called on countries to look at the causes
of terrorism.
"People must see that legitimate grievances can be addressed by peaceful means," the envoy said, adding that
measures should be "much broader than coercive measures."
"Every time we stand up for human rights and fundamental freedoms we, stand up against terror. Every time we
make the rule of law stronger, we make terrorism weaker," he said.
Gulf states feel threatened by al Qaeda, which wants to topple their rulers because of close ties with Washington.
Bin Laden has urged strikes on oil facilities in the region.
Kuwaiti security forces are hunting a number of key militant suspects after a surge of al Qaeda-linked violence last
month.
Source: Reuters, SwissInfo, 6 February 2005 |
Sunday, 6 February 2005
By Mark Trevelyan and Dominic Evans
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