| Submit your comments on this article | |||||||||
| Arabia | |||||||||
| Six Dead (latest figure) in Al Khobar near Dhahran SA | |||||||||
| 2004-05-29 | |||||||||
| CNN is reporting 6 dead in three separate shootings in Al Khobar. Combining the links below, it appears there were shootings at (at least) 2 residential compounds and at the "Al Khobar Petroleum Center" - which is, actually, the Al Rashid Petroleum Centre on Doha Rd. approx 3 miles North of "downtown" Al Khobar. Many Western companies doing business with SCECO and ARAMCO in Dhahran have offices in The Petroleum Centre, including Total, SAICâs Saudi Affilliate SSAI, and many others. There are several housing compounds within a very short distance (only 100 yds to the first of 4 Al Bustan compounds) from the Centre, including the Al Bustan compounds (referred to as Al Bustan Village), Al Rashid I & II, and Lotus. One report named 2 compounds, Oasis and Rami - Oasis is approx 1 mile away and Iâm not sure where "Rami" is located, relative to the Centre. Oasis is a very expensive high-rise apt bldg and is occupied, mainly, by Saudis. Accounts vary as to the identities and nationalities of the victims. Some reports even indicate hostage(s) may have been taken and children among the casualties. I lived in one of the Al Bustan compounds and my JVC (Joint Venture Co) Contracting company was located in the Rashid PetCentre. I have emailed them to see if they have any information, but I donât really expect them to stop whatever theyâre doing to answer me today. If they were not among the victims (theyâre on the ground floor) and have the chance, I assure you they are smart enough to get the hell out. Please update the comments as information develops. Links: CNN Rooters (most recent at time of posting) RTE News FoxNews Arab News version, as of 9:20 p.m. EST... Terrorists killed at least 17 people and wounded eight yesterday in a series of dramatic attacks before taking 50 foreigners hostage at a luxury housing compound here. âThere are Americans, but there are more Italians. There are also Arabs,â said a manager at the Oasis Compound, declining to be named. Gunfire and a blast were heard several hours after security forces surrounded a building in the compound where four gunmen were holding the captives following a shooting spree that began at 7.30 in the morning. At the time of going to press, security forces had shut down power and were waiting to storm the building. A policeman said the militants were using the hostages as human shields and that officials were trying to negotiate. âSecurity forces are worried about storming because the gunmen have grenades,â he said. Eastern Province Governor Prince Muhammad ibn Fahd visited the site of the operation in the afternoon.
In the second attack around 7.50 a.m., the attackers sprayed the Petroleum Center here with bullets killing three people â an American, a Filipino and a Pakistani. Witnesses said they saw three men with Western features lying on the ground covered with newspapers. Those bodies were taken away in ambulances, they said. Saudi Television showed footage of a man with Western features, slumped in his car, apparently shot dead. It also showed a charred car and a third blood-spattered vehicle. Witnesses said the attackers dragged the body of one of the victims along the Dammam-Khobar Highway for two kilometers before dumping him near a bridge.
| |||||||||
| Posted by:.com |
| #61 I have heard this through the spanish news wires. Yesterday, for example, several prestigious sites in Madrid picked it up, as well. Do any of you know anything about this? |
| Posted by: Anonymous5037 2004-05-29 10:27:40 AM |
| #60 Could the CIA have killed Nicholas Berg? Sources at Kodak have suggested that the digital watermarks on the Berg and Abu Ghraib videos are exactly the same. While at this point we have no concrete confirmation of this, it would fit with other examples of how the Berg execution and Abu Ghraib torture scenes are very similar. The contention is that Berg was killed by the US military as a staged psy-op to distract attention from the torture scandal, an execution blamed on 'CIArabs'. Word is spreading around Kodak Park in Rochester NY that Kodak film experts have analyzed the Nick Berg video and some of the Abu Grhaib Prison videos comparing them for certain encrypted recording signatures. Each video camera leaves a certain signature mark, much like a fingerprint or striation markings on bullets in gun barrels. Same goes for CD-ROM Burners, they leave a trace or type of Cookies on the finished product. These are tested by computer and not visible by the naked eye. Experts here after lunch have concluded that one of the 2 video cameras used in the Nick Berg "beheading" was also used to film US troop abuses of Iraqi detainees. |
| Posted by: Anonymous5037 2004-05-29 10:25:13 AM |
| #59 Betcha Prince Bandar had to change his Depends half-a-dozen times just for his snippets on FoxNews...! Boy, those chickens coming home to roost are scary, aren't they? How I wish AQ would pick on the right people--the House of Sods--instead of our wonderful American (and Western) ex-pat oil workers! |
| Posted by: Jen 2004-05-30 1:12:14 AM |
| #58 CNN carrying al arabia say siege is over, but no report on corpse count. |
| Posted by: Phil_B 2004-05-30 1:06:50 AM |
| #57 quotes are approximate...Ginsberg is on Fox News now..."Fifth attack in recent months..." Anchor "about a dozen attacks in the past year" Ginsberg "attacks against fellow muslims suggests a change in operations of Al Qaeda..may be Taqquiri.." Ginsberg "Taqqiris are the same group that attacked Madrid...a group following a more sinsiter religious order...throughout north Africa...Zaqawri is a member of this group..." Anchor "why such attacks now?" Ginsberg...Al Qaeda wants to damange economies of SA and USA...meant to undermine Saudi royal control of the country and the oil... |
| Posted by: Quana 2004-05-30 12:04:03 AM |
| #56 Yep - spot-on, Quana. CNN Int'l (which I don't get, as far as I know - hey, with 500 channels, who knows?) may deem it worthy, but other CNN channels didn't and continue with normal programming. Now Fox has resumed normal pgms -- the Bandar "We'll know in a few hours." statement must be operative. As I said before, it takes time to put lipstick on a pig (or put a happy face on this shit, heh), so we wait... Thx for link, A3964. Will check it out. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 11:44:35 PM |
| #55 Bandar continues to answer other than the questions asked. "Did you have any warning this was going to happen?" Bandar says something like "we were ready for them, but it is hard. We have to be right 100% of the time, they only have to get it right once." Who, exactly, does he think he's kidding? We're all in this together? ...oh geez...I'm ranting... Anchor is asking about the attackers wearing 'uniforms'...Bandar is saying they were wearing similar dress, but they are not dressed as Saudi forces... "I think at this moment when we are engaged fighting evil, I call on our friends in America..." blah blah blah...anchor cut him off...he was starting to sound...uh...a little frenetic... |
| Posted by: Quana 2004-05-29 11:39:40 PM |
| #54 They just stopped (CNN Intenational). They will continue covering as new actions develop. Please visit this site for some commentaries posted from inside the compound. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/3760163.stm |
| Posted by: Anonymous3964 2004-05-29 11:39:19 PM |
| #53 Okay, just saw the helicopter footage on Fox - Al Arabiya tape footage. Don't know when shot. Prince Bandar on phone sez we'll know, "in a few hours" ... "God willing" etc - the usual Arab crap. Making a big deal about Saudis rescuing Americans - See?!!?! We are your FRIENDS!!! Uh, huh. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 11:38:25 PM |
| #52 I see no CNN reporting of this, either on CNN Presents or their Headline News channels. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 11:32:30 PM |
| #51 Prince Bandar is on Fox News saying that seven Americans have been rescued, one American dead. |
| Posted by: Quana 2004-05-29 11:31:05 PM |
| #50 CNN showing troops rather reluctantly jumping out of a helicopter 15/20 feet above a roof. Obviously no one thought to bring a rope. |
| Posted by: Phil_B 2004-05-29 11:30:06 PM |
| #49 Dhahran 5:45 am, Saudi Forces stormed the Oases Compound after managing to dismantled booby traps on the upper floors. I fear the worst is going to happen: they might blow up the building with all the hostages in it. I hope not. CNN is covering this operation right now. |
| Posted by: Anonymous3964 2004-05-29 11:22:32 PM |
| #48 I hadda think about that one for a few minutes...( any phonetic spelling,double the consonants )...clever and elegant... |
| Posted by: Quana 2004-05-29 11:16:47 PM |
| #47 Quana - good link! You know that the coppers have to be able to do this and some straight-forward "soundex rules" should do much of the trick, with a tweak here 'n there. I wrote a soundex routine back in, um, I think it was 1981 for a DB I developed using the simplest form: spell it phonetically or with any known spelling, eliminate the vowels and doubled consonant letters. Voila! Took about an hour to figure out what's important and 5 minutes to code it, heh. Far more sophisticated stuff around now, I'm sure, but even the old one would catch 90%+. I'd wager. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 11:03:57 PM |
| #46 Oh yeah...and this might be of interest...if you ever have to spell those pesky Arabic names again... Seems these folks have worked up a (pilot) program to search/simplify spellings. LINK |
| Posted by: Quana 2004-05-29 10:54:37 PM |
| #45 Thanks for clarifying that, .com. Almost everything I know about Saudi was garnered from secondhand tales, but I sure know a lot of them. Too many, I reckon. ("Piss", huh? I gotta laugh.) |
| Posted by: Quana 2004-05-29 10:46:22 PM |
| #44 Quana - Indeed, the "Khubar" shown is Al Khobar. Phonetic spellings vary wildly - which doesn't help... in a hundred different ways! You should try working in IT over there where a guy can have 4 or 5 different spellings of his name. Sheesh! The phonebook entry ends up being the one that matters in most system DBs. Side note: I was told by a "friendly" Saudi that most of the name plates, which show your name both in Roman chars and Arabic script, were incorrectly translated. He said my first name had been mangled to be Arabic for "piss" - which I found to be hysterically funny since, given my attitude and demeanor, it prolly fit how they saw me quite well, heh! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 10:29:06 PM |
| #43 Excellent follow-up summary, Fred! I guess the "heavily fortified" Oasis compound wasn't quite up to snuff, in the breach, eh? So they turn off the power and wait until dark to "storm" the place. Okay. Storm over or still in progress? In Arabia, expecting fact within a short time period is a fool's errand - it takes time to put a happy face on shit like this. If it turns out well, then the Saudi "security forces" (read: Nayef) will get the credit. If not, well, we know "Zionists" are the default fall-back position. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 10:14:51 PM |
| #42 Frank G - Now that's a good question, bro. First blush response is to look where expats are used... I believe (could be wrong) that "we" are primarily used in 3 areas: plant operations improvement planning & monitoring, plant maint & upgrade implementation & eval, and regular old IT crappola... 1. Plant (refinery / distribution / terminal ops) - I think throughput drops over time. Most expats here are engineers of some sort, and most work on improving output by improving / streamlining plant opns. Keep getting the max out of the ground that tech and mgmt allow. We do the pushing for progress (new tech), write most / all of the justifications, take the heat for failures and give away credit for successes. Social lubrication and motivation. 2. Plant maintenance slows, I believe. Some engineers are directed at "Socratic" operations: reporting maint failures / screw-ups to Saudi Mgrs so they can light fires under slackers with full "coverage"... in SA criticism can't come directly from anyone - especially infidels, y'know! I dunno if maint will be maintained (redundant?) without expats to blame any social faux pas on - such as criticizing poor plant opns where Mgr is connected. We are the, uh, whipping boy for everything. It lets them do what needs to be done without losing face, etc. If no one pushes maint, then maint will slow, IMO. 3. IT is prolly the other major concentration of Expats... dunno, except they'll have to replace them or nothing will get done in this arena that isn't already running. Mgmt software of various sorts is already runing, of course, so it should keep on running. Major projects, such as SAP ERP implementations will continue but at slower pace cuz SAP will send its own people and SA will pay the hazard pay freight. This is the least of the lot in terms of affecting the oil flow, however. Info Mgmt is just reports at the end of the day - Payroll is the only IT function that really matters when the shit hits the fan, eh? In sum, I think it all just starts to slow down. Their social structure has such a high inertial brake built into it (duh!) that they really need constant pushing. The question in my mind is what will be used to replace Westerners - cuz they'll HAVE to - the avg Saudi does not do 2 hrs work per day. Will Russians, French, Chinese, Indians & PakiWakis do the trick, replace the expertise, do the pushing? Not sure, but I don't think so. Even though we're resented or even hated, Americans and Brits are the ultimate ticket: they know we know our shit and we're arrogant enough to believe that "right is right" is the correct creed -- instead of "who's your daddy?". Lol! That's a lot of blather. GK, others, want to weigh in with opining commentary? |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 9:59:21 PM |
| #41 The hidden enemy (Iran) along with the visible (al Qa'ida) is attempting to drive us out of Arabia. They just want us to leave the oil behind so they can utilize all those petrol-profits to fuel jihad against the West. |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-05-29 9:58:59 PM |
| #40 Here are a couple of map links. This one is for Saudi Arabia, and this one is for Dhahran. I think that "Khubar" on the Dhahran map is the Khobar they are talking about in the articles. I'm not sure. More maps at the Casteñeda Library. |
| Posted by: Quana 2004-05-29 9:35:39 PM |
| #39 PD - what will the withdrawal of all US citizens do to the oil supply? Can the oilticks keep things going? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-05-29 9:32:47 PM |
| #38 This link is provided to show that Abdullah is in control of Gov't TV, not Nayef, and is apparently serious about stopping violence... where Muslims are hurt. It has nothing whatsoever to do with all of those other links on the page. Links to totally disgusting sex pix & stuff. Nope. Nothing. No way. Read the story. Don't click those links. Men: consider it a test of, um, something. Dunno what, but... |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 9:25:04 PM |
| #37 Lol, Fred! I guess it depends on what your definition of |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 9:11:40 PM |
| #36 Already? |
| Posted by: Fred 2004-05-29 9:08:25 PM |
| #35 Frank - now Fox has reported renewed gunfire and the "storming-ad-infinitum" has finally occurred and they're saying 7 Americans were "rescued" - 2 were wounded... Developing, as they say, vewy vewy slowly, per Nayef's usual "They're sourrounded!" style... We'll see, I guess. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 9:07:01 PM |
| #34 4:44 PST - Fox sez the SA forces are launching an attack |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-05-29 7:43:15 PM |
| #33 Here's the most cogent report I've seen thus far, from the Independent: The incident began when up to four gunmen in military dress drove cars with military markings into the Apicorp complex in the eastern city of Khobar and began shooting. They entered the Oasis housing compound where they took the hostages, believed to be Americans, Italians and Arabs. An employee at the Oasis compound said the militants asked residents to show their identity cards to find out their religion. They separated Muslims from non-Muslims and freed the Muslims. Hundreds of Saudi police evacuated and cordoned off the complex before trying to storm the building. Reports last night said that the militants and the hostages were holed up on the sixth floor of a high-rise building and at one point the Saudi security forces had been driven off with grenades and had had to wait for reinforcements. A policeman said the militants were using the hostages as human shields and that security officials were trying to negotiate a release. "Security forces are worried about storming because the gunmen have grenades," he said. An American, a Briton, the 10-year-old boy (from Egypt), two Filipinos, an Indian and a Pakistani, are believed to have been killed, along with two Saudi civilians and seven security force members, although the prince put the number of dead at 10. The Egyptian boy is believed to have died when the car he was riding to school in was fired upon. "The terrorists opened heavy fire on the car, killing Rami and setting fire to the car," his father said. Oliver Alabaster, the brother-in-law of one of the compound's residents, who hid behind a cupboard and phoned through to the US, told the BBC that his relative "awoke to see black-hooded men enter a house across the street. She saw her neighbour run out of the back door, then saw her shot in the legs". Khobar is the centre of Saudi Arabia's oil industry, which relies on 6 million expatriate workers. The three sites hit were an offices and housing compound for Apicorp (the investment arm of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries), the Petroleum Centre building that contains offices for oil companies including Royal/Dutch Shell and Russian and Chinese companies, and lastly the Oasis residential compound. -30- |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 6:49:54 PM |
| #32 A4617 - I understand, and commiserate regards the uprooting / upheaval in leaving. It's no small thing to relocate internationally, especially with family and school-age children. When I made my knee-jerk decision to get out a year ago, I had no real idea what I was biting off - I didn't get my "stuff" until about 3 weeks ago, cuz I hung out in Chaing Mai, Thailand for 9 months. Now I'm here in Sin City and I've wasted beaucoup dollars setting up shop, but as I said to 11A5S, I don't think I'll be staying - it looks a LOT like and feels a LOT like The Great Litterbox. Too much like it. I'm looking at Reno / Carson City, somewhere in Texas, and maybe even Del Mar / SD, Laficornia - cuz I know there's work in the last 2 places. LV is dry, internet-work-wise and Reno will prolly be even worse, so it's likely I'll change my mind yet again. There is some GREAT info here you might want to check out... ignoring IT slant, if you & hubbie aren't 'puter geeks like me (heh) and focusing on the livability and resource links there. But get out of there. The most I have to worry about now is whether the pizza will be hot when it gets here. No more checking the car for bombs, getting stabbed in the back at Aramco, and fighting language problems ("Pizza? You order pizza?"), lol! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 6:41:21 PM |
| #31 com, I have never seen the building (Apicorp) myself, so I would not know what it looks like. You have answered my question (posted in other thread) of where you lived while in Kingdom, by given the location of your dentist. I take it that you were not with Aramco. Not big loss! I really do not know where these newspapers get their information. Nothing official has been said yet. Not even the US Consulate has issued the customary Warden Message (I find them to be useless). The only thing out of the ordinary in camp, was that some departments at Aramco had meetings to try to calm the rumors but nobody really knew anything concrete. True to Saudi form, we will never know all the details of these attacks. There are some families living but not mass exodus. I think, that we will see more families, including mine, leave after July 21st, when the school year is over. I, personally, cannot take the pressure anymore. The Oases compound is the one place that we frequent/ed 4 times a week since my husband and son play Hockey there. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4617 2004-05-29 6:14:45 PM |
| #30 11A5S - Welcome, bro! I may be in Reno soon - LV reminds me a little too much of this other place that I didn't much care for... Lol! They say it's greener, cooler, and uh, cooler there! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 5:54:59 PM |
| #29 Thnks for the well-wishes dotcom. Next time I'm in Vegas, I'll let you know and we can knock back a couple together. |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2004-05-29 5:52:42 PM |
| #28 A4617 - Plz describe for me the location of the APIcorp bldg. It must have been finished during the last year, since I left. Much of what has been reported seems to have happened on (what used to be called) the Shuttle Rd - it's Prince DingDong whatever and runs along in front of the Silver Tower - same road that Oasis & Saad Medical Clinic (separated by a street - my Dutch dentist was located in Saad) are on and runs West to Panda / Al Aziziyah / Souk's at the highway - what you call it depends on how long you've been there, heh - reverse chronology given. Note that Some, BBC and others, are saying Oasis is a waterfront property - what Bullshit! As you and I know, nothing is actually built on the water's edge - that's either promenade or "picnic" space - everything is across the Corniche (from Fuad? Mall North) or separated by the promenade (South of the Mall - the straight section where Al Tamimi Safeway / Al Jarira Bookstore are located down to The Gulf Center where Dhahran Blvd intersects). The twits are talking to people who've never been there. Sheesh. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 5:29:27 PM |
| #27 A4617 - SA??? Recognize 2spicy4u? Lol! Link here, but Brit not identified... |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 4:55:45 PM |
| #26 .com, Have you been able to confirm that a brit killed was dragged a mile? That rumor has been circulating here from the start. My husband worked on the Gas Initiative and he met a brit, by the name of Hamilton, who was the president of Apicorp. Apicorp was the first company attacked. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4617 2004-05-29 4:51:11 PM |
| #25 "Then, in waves according to their level of attention span, somnambulism, and general intelligence, succeeding numbers of American will get it: us vs. them." I "got it" on November 4, 1979, and I've long since grown weary of waiting for others to figure it out. Like you, I suspect it will end up becoming an all-out death match, a fight to the finish that will leave hundreds of millions dead. And our grandchildren will ask, "Grandpa, why did we kill all those people? Didn't anybody think of trying to reform their society first, instead of just destroying it?" And the answer will have to be, "Yes, we actually did try to do that, starting with Iraq; but the Democratic Party decided to play politics with the war, and convinced America to give up before we could get the job done." |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2004-05-29 4:49:12 PM |
| #24 Everyone caught this tidbit, right? Methinks this explains the sudden passion for Islam among Korean troops. |
| Posted by: Angie Schultz 2004-05-29 4:10:33 PM |
| #23 "Area residents said the attackers went into a residential building, separated Muslims from non-Muslims and freed the Muslims." Everyone caught this tidbit, right? Latest info says most hostages still held are Italians, but there are some Americans among them. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 4:01:30 PM |
| #22 11A5S - Hey, get well, bro! Shoot me an address and I'll send some "fluids" (in convenient 12 oz. bottles, heh) over immediately! You can get anything delivered these days... I loves capitalism! Rafael, lessee... here's the SA Resources map link... Here's a bunch more SA maps... I know it's approx 30-40 km "deep" from coast to cover the oil sands and appears to be, what, 1200 KM from Khafji to the fuzzy border with Oman? |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 3:59:22 PM |
| #21 How long is that strip of land again?? |
| Posted by: Rafael 2004-05-29 3:45:57 PM |
| #20 Dotcom: I'm too sick right now to be eloquent. But you know what? I'd rather be hounded by my grandchild about some future genocide than see him grow up a slave. I too hope that we can find some clever way out of this like we did during the Cold War. Like you, I don't think that we will. |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2004-05-29 3:43:14 PM |
| #19 11A5S - Thx - I am actually quite saddened by the fact that we will end up at that point. I don't look forward to a genocidal form of war, but they are not going to stop, their "moderates" (read: currently passive) aren't going to even try to effectively dissuade them (giving mere lip service, at most), and we won't act decisively until we're backed into a corner - and there is no real alternative. I'm sure you can put it both more eloquently and in the correct historical perspective. I'll offer my perspecive on it this way: The truth is, I don't want my grandchildren to read about the "Hiroshima" of his father's generation, as we have done with our fathers... but that's where it looks like we'll end up. But I won't apologize for it - any more than my father felt compelled to apologize for Hiroshima. Truly depressing, IMO. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 2:36:45 PM |
| #18 Here's the best / latest -- excerpted from the Atlanta Journal via AP: KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia (AP)--Saudi security forces stormed an upscale expatriate housing complex where suspected Islamic militants holed up with a reported 50 hostages after attacking oil company offices. The kingdom's de facto ruler said at least 10 people, including a child, were killed in the initial rampage. At least three Westerners, including an American, were believed among the dead in the second fatal attack on oil industry targets in the kingdom this month. Philippines officials also were investigating whether two of their citizens had been killed, and there were reports the death toll could be as high as 15 or 16. A Saudi security official had said the attack was ``definitely inspired by al-Qaida,'' as evidenced by the method. Crown Prince Abdullah said four militants stormed the oil company offices in Khobar and ``those killed are about 10--Saudis and non-Saudis.'' Abdullah, who effectively rules Saudi Arabia because King Fahd is ailing, was speaking at a meeting with professors from King Abdul Aziz University in the Red Sea port city of Jiddah. ``Among those killed was a female child,'' Abdullah said, adding the attackers were now surrounded. There had been earlier reports a boy was killed. A police officer on the scene told The Associated Press the attackers were surrounded on the sixth floor of a high-rise building in the Oasis, a housing complex, and had ``people with them,'' meaning hostages. The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, could not say how many hostages were being held. But a senior manager of the complex said 50 hostages were being held, among them Americans, Italians and Arabs. The manager spoke on condition of anonymity. Area residents said the attackers went into a residential building, separated Muslims from non-Muslims and freed the Muslims. There had been earlier reports that security officials had stormed the compound and the hostages were freed, but area residents said they had heard the security forces had been driven off by grenades and were awaiting reinforcements. A report carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, attributed to an unidentified senior Interior Ministry official, said four militants fired randomly at a company and at a residential compound at about 7:30 a.m. (0430 GMT), then entered a residential compound ``where the security forces surrounded them in one of the buildings. They are currently being dealt with.'' The three sites hit in Khobar, 400 kilometers (250 miles) northeast of Riyadh, the capital, were a compound of offices and housing for Apicorp, the investment arm of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Companies; the Petroleum Center building that contained offices for various international oil-related companies; and the Oasis residential compound, a luxurious, walled expatriate community on the Gulf. Among the companies in the compounds are Royal Dutch/Shell Group, Total SA and Saudi Aramco; Lukoil Holdings of Russia; and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., or Sinopec. Shell spokesman Simon Buerck and a Saudi oil industry official, Yahya Shinawi, said employees from those companies were safe. Additional companies believed to be in the compounds included Schlumberger and INOVx, both based in Houston, and Aveva, of Cambridge, England. There was no immediate word on their employees. Saudi Arabia relies heavily on 6 million expatriate workers to run its oil industry and other sectors. Many Western energy corporations have offices in Khobar, which is the center of Saudi Arabia's oil industry and where state-owned energy giant Saudi Arabian Oil Co.--better known as Saudi Aramco--has its headquarters. Concern over whether Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil producer, can protect its oil industry from terrorists were partly blamed for recent oil price spikes to new highs. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 2:27:15 PM |
| #17 Well said dotcom. |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2004-05-29 1:54:00 PM |
| #16 And some are Americans. Recall the bad movies made about the Black [insert favorite month here] sky-jackings back in the 70's where they collected passports from captive passengers looking for Joooos? Humans are incremental, subject to habituation, thus these onesies / twosies killings are not sinking in where the victims are not personally known. Only the gruesome nature of their barbarity makes the "news" in this insane situation. I'm afraid it will, indeed, take the big hit to get our collective attention. Then, in waves according to their level of attention span, somnambulism, and general intelligence, succeeding numbers of American will get it: us vs. them. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 1:49:16 PM |
| #15 Fox sez 50 Hostages - most foreigners |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-05-29 1:39:59 PM |
| #14 US Embassy's urging all Merkins to leave the Magic Kingdom... well, looks like the Saoodis have birthed a monster that may cut off their oiltick lifeblood. Good luck assholes |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-05-29 1:11:18 PM |
| #13 Rooters story appears to be the best roundup. 16 dead - 9 Saudis & 7 Expats. Egyptian child (not sure if girl) was on a schoolbus. Al Arabiya TV pictures shown on the Rooters and FoxNews TV (silver Toyota station wagon burned out) look like they were take inside the Al Rashid Petroleum Ctr compound on driveway in front of the 2 office bldgs that comprise the center. I have another email fwd'd which describes some people inside one of the Bustan compounds. One man was shot / killed and a woman was shot in the legs and is in surgery - unclear if inside the Al Bustan compound, but certainly implied. This info thus MAY indicate a second American dead - unclear if same as the American killed at the PetCtr. I am unsure of the identify the Org of the man authoring the fwd'd email, so I'll only quote a snippet and delete the Org's acronym. Email was sent at 3:46 PM Saudi time (GMT +3) - 8 hrs ahead of Eastern US / 11 ahead of Pacific US. "We have not been able to get across the road at Al Bustan & into the [xxx] offices...so I have been here at Laura's house most of the day. Since we can't get to the [xxx] office I cannot send a message to the membership - so we'll have to use the old method of contacting friends. Please try to send this to as many [xxx] members as you can... and for the members who receive this - please pass along to your other [xxx] / American friends. The hostage situation is still on-going at the Oasis compound, as best we can tell. We can still hear shots being fired from here at Al Bustan, but I sincerely believe that we're in a hard enough target to be safe. Al Bustan is still on a firm lock-down, which is OK w/ me. There have been 2 [xxx] members, that we know of, who were directly involved. One of our members was shot & killed this morning...but I will hold off providing the name in respect for his wife & family. Another member's wife (Board member as well) was shot in the legs & is currently undergoing surgery. Our prayers are w/ her for a full & rapid recovery. Once again, I STRONGLY suggest that YOU ALL take an immediate assessment of your office & compound security. If you do not have a hard target, then do whatever you have to do to get the same!!! If this means staying behind compound walls until you have armed security at your offices / worksites, then do it." [Apologies to this Org and the email's author if including it here should cause any offense.] Rooters FoxNews |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 1:03:57 PM |
| #12 any comments from Prince Naive? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-05-29 12:45:12 PM |
| #11 .com and A4617---Many thanks for you efforts in bringing timely and as accurate as possible news of the attacks in SA. I am sure that this is the tip of the iceberg coming up for what will happen in the future. Events are accelerating. Your info is appreciated! |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-05-29 12:31:52 PM |
| #10 No wonder you're anonymous! Why in the world would the CIA want to execute poor, innocuous Nick Berg?! You've got your tin-foil beanie on way too tight, Anon5037! |
| Posted by: Jen 2004-05-29 10:59:16 AM |
| #9 It's bullshit pure and simple. Why invent a convoluted conspiracy theory when the simple truth is evident? Occam's razor is a good principle to apply even to politics. It is not strange or out of order for radical Islamists to behead Jews. They did it to Daniel Pearl, They did it to Nicholas Berg. It's called CULTURAL DIFFERENCE. Because you find it very difficult to see things from the perspective of a fascist Islamist, being a child of the kindly west, you think it must all be a propaganda lie. It is very important for us to be able to "walk a mile in another man's shoes" ie: to imagine what they are thinking and what their motivations are to be able to understand the world we live in. To those on the left, I say: educate yourselves about the CULTURE and MINDSET of radical, fundamentalist Islam and then you will understand sometimes the cultural meaning behind such symbolic actions. |
| Posted by: Anon1 2004-05-29 10:57:28 AM |
| #8 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Anonymous5037 TROLL 2004-05-29 10:27:40 AM |
| #7 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Anonymous5037 TROLL 2004-05-29 10:25:13 AM |
| #6 Debka is reporting 15 dead. Looks like th SA oil industry is going to ratshit. |
| Posted by: Phil B 2004-05-29 9:23:43 AM |
| #5 Dahran I forgot to mention this situation has been going on since ~7:00 this morning. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4617 2004-05-29 8:31:07 AM |
| #4 Dhahran 2 philipinos, 1 american, 2 saudi security guards, 1 ten year Egyptian girl. Some people are reporting that some Indian workers got killed bringing up the total of deaths to 11. There is a hostage situation going at the Oasis Compound. 6 lebanese hostages were released. They do not know the exact number of hostages being held. Correction: the Oasis Compound and Saad Medical center are the same. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4617 2004-05-29 8:26:13 AM |
| #3 Confirmed by friend at Aramco: "Shootings at Petroleum Center: 3 expatriates (one philipino, one American), 2 security guards - this one is pretty solid news as our secretary's contractor's offices are there and his roommate is an eyewitness." Multiple emails with other shootings (not confirmed): Shootings at APICorp building Shootings at EuroVillage Hostages at Oasis compound - still ongoing Hostages at Saad Medical Center - still ongoing Total of eight deaths rumored so far - no confirmation |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 6:37:58 AM |
| #2 BTW, The British Consulate in Al Khobar is located in the main Al Bustan compound. Current summany: Multiple reports now say that the Oases Apt compound seems to be the main residential target and that there is currently a standoff with some number of gunmen holding hostages in that compound. Some reports say the hostages are Lebanese. More as the fog of wild-eyed Arab reporting clears. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 6:04:15 AM |
| #1 Apologies for title: "is" should be "in" and the CNN report is the most recent according to Google. A4617 - If you are in Dhahran, plz update the thread! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-29 5:41:16 AM |
