Saudi security and the foiling of terror plot

PRINCE Mohammad bin Naif is a key figure who supports the philosophy of Saudi national security in its domestic dimension. The prince has been vigilant and well-acquainted with terror organizations, their intellectual edifices and their military structures. He heads a team of experts in security and intelligence that has managed to foil terrorist plots and hence, the Saudis have managed to curb the third wave of terrorism with professionalism.
Terrorism currently is multifaceted. It is weak in terms of legitimacy, with no ideology and with skills that belong to external security apparatus. The present generation of terrorists believe in mutual services and benefits. For this reason, one cannot ignore the observation that the perpetuation of this kind of terror has to do with regional developments. Regional players have been threatening to create problem in the region. For instance, Ali Larijani, a prominent Iranian politician, previously warned Israel, threatened to invade Kuwait and pledged to target the Gulf’s security. The defected Syrian ambassador, Nawaf Al-Fares, revealed that Damascus had been cooperating with Al-Qaeda and that the country was behind bomb blasts in Baghdad. In addition, the American CIA revealed a mutually beneficial relationship between Tehran and Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Yemen. Some detainees in Syrian prisons, who were released by the Free Syrian Army, said the terrible events at the Nahr Al-Barid camp were carried out in arrangements with Damascus. Needless to point out the plan of Michel Samaha that was aimed at causing violence in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the security approach has various levels. Solving security problems without compromising the social and economic stability in an important country like Saudi Arabia and without endangering the lives of innocent people is the first level. Seen in this light, the Saudi security plan does not rely on deploying force as the only tool in dealing with outlaws or misguided people. There is a security team at the Saudi Ministry of Interior that adopts intellectual dialogue in a bid to deconstruct the ideological basis of those people. In this way, there is an attempt to rehabilitate them and reform their deviant minds. By all means, this is the proper way to effect a change in those who are amenable to be employed by regional players to serve their interests. This security plan reflects the thinking of Prince Naif. As it is based on educational and intellectual assessment it has helped many Al-Qaeda members, who have hurt the moderate image of Saudi Arabia, to repent.
The latest terrorist plan in Riyadh was thwarted because of monitoring and measures by senior security officials. There were security committees that classified and analyzed all kinds of information and kept a watch on new terror relevant activities. In fact, the security apparatuses have been instrumental in foiling the terror plot because of knowledge they have about methods and tools used by terror outfits. They eavesdropped on the terrorists’ communication and managed to infiltrate them. The security apparatuses managed to lure the terrorists and isolate them from one another. The leader of this cell — who was arrested — confessed and gave detailed information to the security people. He gave detailed information about two cells, who work for them, their addresses and the places where explosives are stored. These confessions and information gleaned from the arrested suspect helped the security people bust the cells and get hold of would-be perpetrators. The security members operated secretly so that the two cells do not sense their presence. The two independent cells were planning to detonate a blast at one place to attract security attention in order to strike at another place.
These terror cells chose the month of Ramadan when people are busy in prayers. They put their explosive materials in one of the rooms attached to a mosque. However, the security crackdown foiled the terrorists' plan to carry out the blast.
The monitoring of these terror groups revealed their modus operandi — they misuse mosques, the holy Qur'an, infiltrate populated places and wear female outfits to escape security vigilance. The security agents knew the terrorists' plans and worked in a way so as to avert any incident or provoke them into carrying out the blast.
This terrorist cell has links with Al-Qaeda in Yemen or other places. It seems the security agencies handled the situation without overlooking the security and political connotations. The terrorists’ movements were closely monitored inside and outside the Kingdom. Information gathered by security agencies through social networks, YouTube and Internet revealed a lot about the terror outfits and their links. The Saudi authorities are well-aware about their goals, their external supporters especially in technical matters and their attempts to restore their previous presence. Security surveillance also revealed that the terrorist cells faced problems in gaining sympathy of the enlightened Saudi youth and thus failed to recruit them. Their attempt to recruit Yemeni citizens also failed.
Evidence shows that extremists use Islamic-related electronic sites for their ulterior motives. But it is noted that those who interact with them are not Saudis. Saudis are moderates and are against violence. They are also known for their rich knowledge about Islam.
Busting these two cells may be of great significance. Yet, the amount of information gained through this operation will provide knowledge about the new mechanisms adopted by terrorists, their communication with the outside world, their recruitment process and their political affiliation particularly with regard to threats issued by Iran and Hezbollah. After the events in Sinai, it is obvious that there are people who benefit by creating trouble in the region.

E-mail: ali.bluwi@yahoo.com