FEATURE-Saudi forces train for new stage of insurgency fight
24 May 2007 11:00:24 GMT Source: Reuters
By Ebtihaj Nakshbandy RIYADH, May 24 (Reuters) - A helicopter drops men in black onto the rooftop of an isolated building. They slip down its walls using ropes then hurl themselves through the windows like something from a James Bond film. Officers uncover booby-trapped books, phones and cigarette lighters. Remote-controlled robots inspect suspected bombs in the sand before detonating them. Dogs dig for hidden weapons and civilians held hostage in a car are pulled to safety. These Hollywood-style setpieces are in fact training by Saudi security forces for the next stage of their battle against a mini-insurgency movement led by Islamist militants emboldened by the fighting in Iraq. They are a replay of incidents seen in the world's biggest oil exporter since 2003 when al Qaeda sympathisers launched a campaign to bring down the U.S.-allied Saudi monarchy, attacking government buildings, foreign housing compounds and oil installations. Around 264 people have died in the violence, which has tailed off since a failed attempt in February 2006 to storm an oil facility in Abqaiq. Last month the authorities announced the arrest of 172 men who were described as being part of a major plot to revive the militant campaign, involving men and money from Islamists fighting U.S. forces in the desert kingdom's northern neighbour. Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz told fellow Gulf Arab interior ministers this week that Iraq had become the training ground for a "new generation" of militants whose influence would be felt throughout the Arabian peninsula, where the United States maintains a large military presence. FAITHFUL SECURITY FORCES "(We have) a security system that is capable of reading terrorist activity and uncovering extremists or those involved in these acts," Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour al-Turki told Reuters at the security display. "The security forces are faithful to the task they have been given and realise the weight of their vocation in combating terrorism," he said, sitting below portraits of King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan and Saudi Arabia's founder King Abdul-Aziz. Outside, soldiers march past in black outfits and military fatigues chanting "strength, determination, victory" in scenes reminiscent of military-dominated states like Egypt and Syria that were almost unimaginable here a decade ago. The absolute monarchy, which was at first reluctant to admit Saudis had any part in the Sept. 11 attacks on U.S. cities, has launched a media war against militants despite once backing Saudis who left to fight foreigners in places like Afghanistan. Over the past week state media have carried a series of "confessions" by jailed Islamists involved in some of the prominent attacks stretching over the last four years. Analysts and diplomats had questioned whether militants had inside help during some of those operations. The government is now happy to cooperate closely with Western counter-terrorism agencies, who are full of praise for Saudi Arabia's efforts to fight militants. "There is strong support from the leadership for security work at all levels," Turki said. (Additional reporting by Andrew Hammond)
