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| Arabia | ||||||
| Al-Qaeda hits Riyadh | ||||||
| 2003-11-08 | ||||||
| Breaking news, should get clearer as the story developes ... Three explosions rocked the Saudi capital Riyadh around midnight Saturday, and smoke could be seen rising from the area of the blast, diplomats said. The diplomats said there was one big explosion at about midnight, followed by two smaller ones 15 seconds apart. Police cars raced toward the direction of the blasts, which appeared to have happened in the western part of the city. An American Embassy spokeswoman confirmed the explosion, but said it was not in the diplomatic quarter. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear, and it wasn’t known if there were any casualties. Almost all the foreign embassies in Riyadh - including the U.S. Embassy - and most diplomats’ homes are inside the quarter, an isolated neighborhood whose entrances are guarded. But there are several residential compounds housing Western business people relatively near to the diplomatic quarter on the city’s west side. A western diplomat said he got a call from a friend who reported seeing smoke rising from a building on the other side of the diplomatic quarter near an area where the palaces of the royal family’s senior princes are located. Did al-Adel and Co decide that they were sick and tired of this crackdown business and decide to target the royal family directly?
This would appear to be that. Followup: Here's the al-Jizz version... Many are reported dead and at least 100 people, mainly children, have been wounded after three explosions rocked a residential housing compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Details are still emerging from the scene but a Saudi journalist told Al-jazeera that a shootout took place in the compound where the explosion occurred. Abd al-Rahman al-Lahim reported from the scene of the explosion and said there was a large fire in the compound where he heard three blasts, only seconds apart. Al-Lahim added that the compound houses foreigners from various countries and said security forces have blocked off the area surrounding the compound, preventing people from entering.
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| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #12 SH - There are definitely places where they could truly hurt the Saudi oil production - there are unguarded pipeline junctions (pipes are underground, mostly) in many places. There are many other easy oil targets - and saltwater conversion plants and a hundred other things that would actually hurt. These guys, AlQ or whatever, are solely focused on people. They be blindered morons from the 7th century... I think there is an intelligence issue at work. They aren't, in many ways. |
| Posted by: .com (RoPMA) 2003-11-8 10:07:58 PM |
| #11 I still don't understand why they haven't hit an oil facility although the reports I heard said that this was a relatively soft target. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-11-8 9:43:41 PM |
| #10 Wow - the Beeb is showing images of the just-before-dawn blast devastation with a voice-over saying dozens dead - and it's the Saudi Govt channel video that's being fed. THAT is NEWS. Regular Saudis are getting real NEWS instead of the usual: a procession of people kissing the Clown Prince's thobe, Mecca drones circling the Black Box, and Qu'uranic recitation. Dr. Frankenschteen, indeed! This is a Saudi "F**king Duh!" moment. Now I remember why I left! |
| Posted by: .com (RoPMA) 2003-11-8 8:28:02 PM |
| #9 "Dr. Frankenstein! Code Blue! Dr. Frankenstein! Code Blue!" |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-11-8 7:44:35 PM |
| #8 Since then, Saudi authorities have arrested hundreds of suspected militants throughout the country. I guess some of them slipped by, eh? |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2003-11-8 7:20:08 PM |
#7 "...Rabie Hadeka, a resident inside the targeted compound, told the Al-Arabiya television network that 'about 20 to 30 people have been killed and 50 to 60 injured.'" From Fox News story (via Command Post). |
| Posted by: Old Grouch 2003-11-8 6:36:48 PM |
| #6 tap tap tap... Damn, my sympathy meter's busted... |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2003-11-8 6:33:21 PM |
| #5 nice.....mostly children.... SA - welcome to the monster you created - ROPMA! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-11-8 6:25:21 PM |
| #4 More: Associated Press Writer November 8, 2003, 6:08 PM EST RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Three explosions rocked a residential compound in the Saudi capital Saturday night, and a government official said the blast came after gunmen broke into the compound and exchanged fire with security guards. The manager of the targeted compound estimated that 100 people were wounded, the Al-Arabiya television channel said. Diplomats reported one big explosion about midnight, followed by two smaller ones 15 seconds apart. The U.S. Embassy had issued a warning Friday that terror attacks could be imminent in the tense Gulf kingdom, and American diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia were closed Saturday as a result. The official Saudi Press Agency referred to a single blast, and called it a "terrorist explosion." The streets were crowded with late night crowds because of Ramadan, the holy month when Muslims fast during the day. A woman living in the compound told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that "there is lot of blood" at the scene of the explosions. "I am extremely terrified; I am really scared. I felt it was an earthquake," the woman said without identifying herself. "Lots of houses are damaged, windows shattered and police echoing with sirens of ambulances," she said. "The ambulances were picking up lots of people. It looks like there are lots of people who died." The Saudi official said the explosions took place in the Muhaya compound. He said the attackers exchanged fire with the guards and he said there were apparently three explosions. He said most of the wounded were believed to be children because their parents were out shopping during Ramadan. Most of the residents are Arabs and few Westerners live in the area. A U.S. Embassy spokesperson said the attack targeted the B2 compound, which is in the Nakheel neighborhood near the Muhaya shopping center. The official said all embassy personnel were accounted for. Dozens of police cars and ambulances raced toward the direction of the blasts, sirens wailing, and helicopters hovered overhead. Traffic was tied up across the city. Hanadi al-Ghandaki, manager of the targeted compound, told al-Arabiya that about 100 people were wounded, mostly children "because most adults were outside the compound at that time." She did not elaborate. Al-Ghandaki said the residential facility has 200 residential villas occupied by Arab tenants, plus four others occupied by one French family, two German families and a British family. Rabie Hadeka, a resident inside the targeted compound, told the Al-Arabiya television network that "about 20 to 30 people have been killed and 50 to 60 injured." She told Al-Arabiya that "shattered glass was spread everywhere after we heard three very strong explosions." Police said the explosions were three miles from one of the entrances to the Saudi capital's diplomatic quarter. "We heard a very strong explosion and we saw the fire," Bassem al-Hourani, who said he was a resident at the targeted compound, told Al-Arabiya in a telephone interview. "I heard screams of the children and women. I don't know what happened to my friends if anybody was injured," he said. "All the glass in my house were shattered." Almost all the foreign embassies in Riyadh -- including the U.S. Embassy -- and most diplomats' homes are inside the diplomatic quarter, an isolated neighborhood whose entrances are guarded. But there are several residential compounds housing Western business people relatively near the diplomatic quarter. A western diplomat said he got a call from a friend who reported seeing smoke rising from a building on the other side of the diplomatic quarter near an area where the palaces of the royal family's senior princes are located. The city's main palaces, including those of senior princes and the king's sprawling Riyadh residence, are just outside the east side of the diplomatic quarter. Each of the palaces is behind a high wall, with automatic gates for cars to drive through, and guards. A May attack on western residential compounds in Riyadh killed 35 people, including the nine attackers. Since then, Saudi authorities have arrested hundreds of suspected militants throughout the country. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-11-8 6:23:40 PM |
| #3 I read a story over at LGF today wherein a Soddie spokesman was calling the US lame for closing up it's embassy. The guy said the US had been "overreacting" since Sept. 11th. Looks like US intel made the right call on this one. F**kin' Soddies are trying to figure out how much more $$$ it'll take to buy AQ off for a few more months or to get them to exclusively hit Americans. |
| Posted by: Mark 2003-11-8 6:09:12 PM |
| #2 So which part of the "royal" family attacked which other part? Damn bastards should start wearing jerseys so we can tell them apart. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2003-11-8 5:29:29 PM |
| #1 I like it - Al-Qaeda is ultimately doing more damage to the Islamist cause by alienating the chief funding source (SA) than they are in bringing converts and attention |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-11-8 5:22:42 PM |