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| Arabia |
| Saudi Seizes 16 Terror Suspects and Arms Cache |
| 2003-07-21 |
| Saudi Arabia said on Monday it had arrested a group of militants planning "terrorist attacks" against Saudi targets and seized large amounts of arms and explosives. Saudi television, quoting an Interior Ministry official, said: "A terrorist cell of 16 people was uncovered and arrested. Security forces were able to foil a terrorist plot planned against vital Saudi installations and targets." It said Saudi security forces were chasing other militants linked to the cell, but gave no details of what the targets were. The television showed arms, including rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition and large amounts of chemicals it said could be used to make explosives. "A number of bags filled with more than 20 tons of chemical substances to make explosives were found hidden underground," the television said. 20 tons? That’s one hell of a cache. The television said the chemicals and weapons were found in the capital Riyadh, in the country’s eastern province and in a province north of Riyadh. A little too close to home for the princes. The footage also showed automatic rifles, weapons, binoculars, mobile phones, surveillance cameras, bullet-proof vests, passports for several nationalities, forged identity cards, cars, motorcycles, audio tapes, computers as well as cash boxes to collect donations. "cash boxes to collect donations" - been looking in mosques again, have we? Western sources in Saudi Arabia say authorities are providing unprecedented security cooperation in tackling Saudi-based al Qaeda elements and those who helped finance the group, blamed for the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001. I’ll believe they are helping when we see heads roll. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #7 20 Tons??? My goodness, ole Abdul has been a busy boy. I'd like to see them take these guys to the aquarium and feed them to sharks....and then have the Saudi national soccer team play a quick match with their heads. When I see the head of one of these Wafdist miscreats as a hood ornament on the Crown Prince's Bentley, I'll take those Saudi dilitantes seriously, but until then, it is all a really big show for american television. |
| Posted by: SOG475 2003-7-21 8:07:25 PM |
| #6 Details coming in: The Saudi authorities defused "terrorist" operations which were about to be carried out against vital installations and arrested a number of suspects, after searching their hide-outs in farms and homes in the regions of Riyadh, Qaseem and the Eastern Province, an official source at the Ministry of Interior announced Monday. "Those farms and houses included under ground warehouses that contained a number of bags, weighed 20 tons and 76 kilograms, full of chemical mixtures designed to make explosives," the source added, according to SPA. "The authorities found also a large amount of big boxes, buried under the ground, that contained arms. The boxes contained 72 kilograms of an explosive material of RDX, explosive match cord of 981 meters long, 524 electric sparks, a number of machine guns and 18 RPG's with five launchers," the source disclosed. The source said that they found in those sites night vision binoculars, sewing machines for sewing the bags, communication devices, computer C.D's, donation collection boxes, SR 300,000, motorbikes and cars prepared to carry out terrorist operations. According to the report, the number of persons, who were arrested amounted to 16. "The Ministry of Interior is exerting all efforts "strictly" to defuse and arrest all terrorist cells and all those who would contribute and finance them and cover them," the source concluded. Looks the the 20 tons was a total of all the sites raided, not one big cache. |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-7-21 3:09:12 PM |
| #5 The biggest blast I ever made with one load in one spot was 20,000 lb (10 tons) of soupy 60% dynamite in a gravel pit to get rid of it quickly. It made a hole about 30 ft dia x 12 ft deep, and that was just with boxes piled on top of the ground. Made a righteous mushroom cloud of dust that was seen 17 miles away in a village. They thought that an atomic bomb had gone off. We laced the whole thing in primacord and used 4 cap and fuses 'cause we were not going back for hang fires! The shock wave was awesome. MOAB Junior. Glad the Saudis got 20 tons out of circulation. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-7-21 2:41:43 PM |
| #4 All that, and they weren't even "European" booze smugglers? Who'd'a Thunk it? |
| Posted by: Hodadenon 2003-7-21 12:58:29 PM |
| #3 Riyadh, that frontline position on the ALLOUT war on terrorism. Prince Bandar "the world wonders" who is teaching the faithful in your paradise? |
| Posted by: Lucky 2003-7-21 11:50:41 AM |
| #2 how many bags and how big of a hole in the ground would they have to hold 20 tons? Yikes! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-7-21 11:40:12 AM |
| #1 20 tons of exposives ?!! In downtown Riyadh ?!! Oh, how I would dearly love a "work accident".... |
| Posted by: Carl in NH 2003-7-21 10:00:54 AM |