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| Arabia |
| Hostage: Security Forces Allowed The Gunman To Escape |
| 2004-06-01 |
| A nationwide manhunt is under way in Saudi Arabia for at least three Islamic militants who evaded capture after a bloody 25-hour hostage siege in Khobar. Police have set up checkpoints to catch the gunmen who killed 22 people and took about 50 foreigners hostage. Officials say the group’s leader was wounded and captured, but that the others escaped using hostages as human shields and then hijacking a car. But one hostage has claimed security forces allowed the gunman to escape. The Saudi Interior Ministry says the foreigners who were killed came from Britain, Egypt, India, Italy, the Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, and the US. It said 25 people of different nationalities were wounded. VICTIMS’ NATIONALITIESThe Interior Ministry said 41 hostages were freed on Sunday morning when Saudi commandos stormed the Oasis residential compound, which houses company executives. In all, 22 people were killed. Thirteen people were gunned down on Saturday, and nine hostages were killed after they reportedly tried to escape during the night. A staff member from the compound has relayed an account from a freed hostage who said a deal was done in which the gunmen were allowed to escape in exchange for not blowing up the building. That version of events has not been confirmed, but BBC Middle East correspondent Paul Wood says questions are being asked about exactly what did happen. 1. Al-Khobar Petroleum Centre: Four gunmen arrive at 0715 Saturday, shoot at guards, enter building and fire at employees.The Saudi ambassador to Britain, Prince Turki al-Faisal, has rejected any idea of collusion between the attackers and the security forces and insisted the authorities were fighting terror groups using all means available. He told the BBC’s Today programme that the attackers go for the softest targets and if they really did have helpers in positions of authority they would be able to attack much more high-profile targets. Security sources said a car the militants used to escape had been found abandoned on the outskirts of the nearby city of Damman. The UK ambassador to Saudi Arabia has warned that more attacks are likely. Sherard Cowper Coles said there was no intelligence about specific threats, but that a picture was emerging of scores of militants actively planning attacks of the kind seen in Khobar. Britain is advising against all but essential travel to Saudi Arabia, but has not yet followed the US in telling its citizens to leave. An audiotape posted on an Islamic website claimed the attack for al-Qaeda. "We will cleanse the Arabian peninsula of infidels," the tape said. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #16 And here's the cherry on top... |
| Posted by: .com 2004-06-02 12:51:10 AM |
| #15 Nice post, Zenster. No one can keep up on everything, so if you've got "yawn" info, just go ahead and post it. Thank you, ex-lib. I'm rather grateful for the additional perspective that is presented here. Despite the flak and outright bullsh!t I experience while contributing what I may, please rest assured that I'll do my best to repay Fred and his crew's efforts with what I consider to be valuable information. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-06-01 11:36:09 PM |
| #14 ...That hostage who is making those claims better get his backside out of the KSA pronto before he's arrested for alk running. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2004-06-01 1:43:39 PM |
| #13 "Eight Indians + Three Filipinos + Three Saudis + Two Sri Lankans . . ." These Moslems don't give a crap about whether the victims are actually "Westerners" or not. It's all about killing, per se, and feeling like "big guys." Don't kid yourself. They "like" it. I think that in the WOT, it doesn't really matter how we think about such things as life, society, rule of law--it's important to understand how they think about such things (bascially, they don't think about such things). We have to understand their bottom line--if we want to win, that is. Like common criminals, the Islamic bad guys look for opportunity and some type of personal "justification." That's it. That's all. That's enough. They don't really care about "Western" this or that. They care about feeling like they're "men." (Cuz they're just pseudo-men with major issues and something to "prove.") Sure hope the West gets real smart, real soon, about how short-sighted these guys really are. After all, the other Moslems know how short-sighted these guys really are, and they also know that being "Moslem" doesn't amount to sh-t, with them. The baddies just want power: "They say that Turki helped seal a deal whereby al-Qaeda would not attack Saudi targets. In return, Saudi Arabia would make no demands for extradition or the closure of bin Laden's network of training camps." Nice post, Zenster. No one can keep up on everything, so if you've got "yawn" info, just go ahead and post it. |
| Posted by: ex-lib 2004-06-01 1:43:21 PM |
| #12 Wonder if the Egyptian and Saudi they killed were believers? Yeah, but they probably didn't believe hard enough. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-06-01 12:10:25 PM |
| #11 Rats. 5077 is me, posting from the clinic. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2004-06-01 11:57:08 AM |
| #10 wretchard points out that most of the "westerners" killed were Indians, Sri Lankans, and Fillipinos. Yes, didn't seem to bother the terrorists much, did it? Wonder if the Egyptian and Saudi they killed were believers? |
| Posted by: Anonymous5077 2004-06-01 11:56:07 AM |
| #9 wretchard points out that most of the "westerners" killed were Indians, Sri Lankans, and Fillipinos. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-06-01 9:47:00 AM |
| #8 According to Fox News this morning the terroists were allowed to escape in return for not killing the last of the hostages. I |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2004-06-01 7:31:42 AM |
| #7 Furthermore, the recent "Muslim friendly workplace" twaddle coming Britain, when combined with how they are willing to accept al Faisal as the Saudi legate, is merely further proof of just how addlepated some of their politicians must be. The icing on the cake is Britain's advocating sale of sophisticated weapons systems to China. I'm obliged to worry that they may have gotten into a rather bad batch of "tea." |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-06-01 2:35:18 AM |
| #6 The Saudi 'security' forces know each and every terrorist involved, most likely on a first name basis as well! These scheming two faced 'royal' Saudi dishrags have deceiving & plundering multi-billions off the west far too long, and that goes for their Arabian appeasing cohorts in Big Oil. |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-06-01 2:30:11 AM |
| #5 Mark, due to an absence of emoticons or [/sarcasm] annotation, I shall assume (and hope) you were serious. This news is quite old and I was actually hoping (for once) to get a yawn from the Ranters on this. The Turki al-Faisal article link is from over a year ago and it's original publication predates that. However, I'm more than glad to expose just how poor of an ally the Saudis are. They may well prove to be the most dire enemy we have amongst the Middle East governments. If my post was of any help at all, I am truly glad. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-06-01 2:25:47 AM |
| #4 This article from Scotsman.com goes a little further: An employee, who had been inside the compound assessing damage, reported an account from a freed hostage he spoke to, who said security forces allowed the attackers to flee because they were killing hostages. The former hostage said he heard a gunman say: "Let us go and we’ll let the hostages go." Security forces at first refused but relented after the militants - who also threatened to blow up the building - began killing hostages, he said. A Saudi security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, would not directly address whether the militants were allowed to escape. But he said: "Our main priority was the hostages. And those guys who ran away, we know how to find them." |
| Posted by: .com 2004-06-01 2:04:36 AM |
| #3 Zenster, Great eye opening research you have here. A BIG well done! |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-06-01 1:37:00 AM |
| #2 The Saudi ambassador to Britain, Prince Turki al-Faisal, has rejected any idea of collusion between the attackers and the security forces and insisted the authorities were fighting terror groups using all means available. Remember, folks, this is the same Prince Turki al-Faisal who had suspicious links to 9-11. Do not trust him as far as you can throw him. Now, after papers were served on Turki several weeks ago, the Saudi ambassador will be at the heart of it. Legal papers in the case obtained by The Observer make it clear that the allegations are serious and lengthy. Many centre around Turki's role as head of the Saudi intelligence agency. He held the post for 25 years before being replaced in 2001 just before the attacks on New York. Turki admits to meeting bin Laden four or five times in the 1980s, when the Saudi-born terrorist was being supported by the West in Afghanistan. Turki also admits meeting Taliban leader Mullah Omar in 1998. He says he was seeking to extradite bin Laden at the request of the United States. However, the legal papers tell a different story. Based on sworn testimony from a Taliban intelligence chief called Mullah Kakshar, they allege that Turki had two meetings in 1998 with al-Qaeda. They say that Turki helped seal a deal whereby al-Qaeda would not attack Saudi targets. In return, Saudi Arabia would make no demands for extradition or the closure of bin Laden's network of training camps. Turki also promised financial assistance to Mullah Omar. A few weeks after the meetings, 400 new pick-up vehicles arrived in Kandahar, the papers say. Kakshar's statement also says that Turki arranged for donations to be made directly to al-Qaeda and bin Laden by a group of wealthy Saudi businessmen. "Mullah Kakshar's sworn statement implicates Prince Turki as the facilitator of these money transfers in support of the Taliban, al-Qaeda and international terrorism," the papers said. Turki's link to one of al-Qaeda's top money- launderers, Mohammed Zouaydi, who lived in Saudi Arabia from 1996 to 2001, is also exposed. Zouaydi acted as the accountant for the Faisal branch of the Saudi royal family that includes Turki. Zouaydi, who is now in jail in Spain, is also accused of being al-Qaeda's top European financier. He distributed more than $1 million to al- Qaeda units, including the Hamburg cell of Mohammed Atta which plotted the World Trade Centre attack. Finally the lawsuit alleges that Turki was "instrumental" in setting up a meeting between bin Laden and senior Iraqi intelligence agent Faruq al-Hijazi in December 1998. At that meeting it is alleged that bin Laden agreed to avenge recent American bombings of Iraqi targets and in return Iraq offered him a safe haven and gave him blank Yemeni passports. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-06-01 1:29:42 AM |
| #1 The lid didn't stay on nearly as long as the Saudis would've preferred, I'm sure. "Stormy Sunday..." When it stormed and stormed and the TV crew showed up and they stormed some more and the helicopter came and then some more storming and then... and then... and then, "Nothing to see here. Move along. Turn off that camera, now! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-06-01 1:27:28 AM |