Twelve bomb
explosions left more than 770 people injured. The terrorists also randomly
fired their guns at people and attacked companies and military bases.
Despite the huge
losses that put the Kingdom at the top of countries most affected by terrorism,
the country was able to successfully fight terrorism through military plans and
promoting the correct Islamic ideology. It was also able to foil a number of terrorist
operations and reinforced its position as an important partner in world efforts
to combat terrorism.
The Kingdom was
able to root out terrorist havens and thwarted 220 operations. The efforts of
Saudi security forces culminated in the killing of the leader of Al-Qaeda in
the Kingdom, Fahd Al-Juwair.
Al-Qaeda in the
Kingdom had a number of leaders who succeeded each other. Among them was Khaled
Al-Haj, who was also killed after forming four terrorist cells.
The first cell
was under the leadership of Abdul Aziz Al-Migren who in turn established five
cells: three in Riyadh under Faisal Al-Dakheel and Khaled Al-Farraj and one
each in the Eastern Province under Abdullah Al-Migrren and Naif Al-Qahtani and
in Madinah under Saleh Al-Oufi. All these leaders were killed in confrontations
with Saudi security forces.
The second
terrorist cell formed by Al-Haj was under the leadership of Turki Al-Dandani.
Eighty-five members of this cell are currently being tried. They carried out
three explosions in residential complexes in the eastern areas of Riyadh. The
third cell was led by Ali Al-Barqi and the fourth by Ali Al-Fakasi.
Under the
leadership of Saud Al-Qitaini, Al-Qaeda went through many phases and carried
out a number of terrorist acts.
During
Al-Qitaini's reign, a cell was formed in the eastern Al-Ahsa region under
Khaled Al-Sinan. This cell was behind explosions at Interior Ministry and
special emergency forces buildings.
Two cells were
established in Qasim under the leadership of Abdullah Al-Hossain and Abdul
Majeed Al-Maneea. A terrorist cell was established in Khafji under Salman
Al-Shammari and another in Jeddah under a man known by his first name, Musa.
The organization
set up five cells without announcing the names of their leaders. These were the
assassinations, oil, preparations, Kuwait and the North cells.
After Al-Qitaini
was killed in a confrontation with security forces, Moroccan citizen Yunis
Al-Hayari became the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Kingdom.
During his time,
two terrorist cells were established, one under Fahd Al-Juwair and the second
under Zaid Al-Sammari. Following the death of Al-Hayari in a confrontation with
security forces in Qasim, Fahd Al-Juwair became the leader of Al-Qaeda.
He carried out a
bomb attack at an oil refinery in Al-Baqeek. The leader and five of his
followers were killed in a rest house east of Riyadh 62 hours after the attack.
Al-Qaeda
targeted a number of Gulf countries in 2001 with the aim of changing the
regimes there before it shifted its focus to the Kingdom in 2003.
Mokhtar
Al-Baloushi was assigned the military work outside. He was assisted by Abdul
Rahman Al-Nashiri and Abu Obaidah Al-Hadrami. Al-Nashiri was appointed leader
of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Ramzi Al-Shiba was made his assistant.
The terrorist
acts of Al-Qaeda also included forging travel documents, deciding the locations
for terrorist activity, making arrangements for the entry of terrorists and
providing them with safe accommodation.
Large quantities
of arms, ammunition, explosives, banknotes, cars and forged documents were
confiscated by the security forces who were tracking down terrorists.
For the first
time, terrorist trials in Riyadh and Jeddah were opened to the media. The trial
of 11 terrorists allegedly belonging to the Yanbu cell began in Riyadh in May.
They were charged with planning the attack against Yanpet company in Yanbu in
which five Western employees and a Saudi policeman were killed. Twenty-five
Saudis and foreigners were injured. All four terrorists who carried out the
attack were killed. The defendants were also charged with forming a cell to
carry out terrorist acts. They claimed they were avenging the residents of
Fallujah in Iraq who were killed by American forces. Seven of the 11 defendants
are brothers and cousins.
The trial of 85
alleged members of the third terrorist cell who attacked three residential
compounds in Riyadh in 2003 began in June.
The trial of 75
alleged members of the cell known as "the clandestine organization"
began in Jeddah recently. They include 16 academics accused of attempts to
topple the government.