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| Arabia | |
| Al-Qaeda Cell Dismisses Saudi Crackdown Claims | |
| 2006-04-04 | |
| Riyadh, 4 April (AKI) - An internet site purporting to represent the al-Qaeda terror network's branch in Saudi Arabia has denied claims made by the Saudi authorities last week that 40 al-Qaeda linked militants had been arrested. It also announced that the group plans to post video and other propaganda material on the site in the coming days - a move that would appear to contradict reports by analysts who maintain that authorities have crushed al-Qaeda's Saudi cells. "As for the arrest of 40 people who are allegedly members of al-Qaeda in the Arab peninsula, and that the group also included some who have been responsible in distributing our messages - we say that all this is false. It is all propaganda by the blasphemous Saudi government because our information office is still operational and no one has been arrested," the Internet message said.
On 30 March the Saudi interior ministry announced that security forces had arrested 40 suspected terrorists in three different operations carried out around the Kingdom. Those arrested were believed to be members of al-Qaeda terrorist cells, some of whom may be linked to a foiled attack on the Al-Abqaiq oil refinery in the Kingdom's Eastern Province on 25 February, the ministry said. It did not release the names of any of the detained suspects. According to a ministry statement, the sweep followed investigations by security forces tracking a number of people who were stockpiling weapons, providing material and financial support for the activities of the suspects, and using the Internet to spread "subversive propaganda" and promoting acts of violence. | |
| Posted by:Steve |