The Hindu : Saudi blasts mastermind held

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 29, 2003

International

International

Saudi blasts mastermind held

RIYADH May 28. The Saudi Arabian Interior Minister, Prince Nayef, announced the arrests of a number of militants believed to have had a role in the Riyadh bombings, the official Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. Saudi newspapers added that among them was an Al-Qaeda suspect, who allegedly masterminded the attacks.

Also on Wednesday, the U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Robert Jordan, said the threat of further attacks on Western and American interests remains high here. The Saudi news agency, known as SPA, said Prince Nayef announced that the hunt for militants has intensified and that ``a number of people were arrested some days ago and today in Medina.''

Saudi and U.S. officials have linked Al-Qaeda to the May 12 Riyadh attacks. The SPA report quoting Prince Nayef on Wednesday said nothing about Al-Qaeda. The agency did not give specifics. Prince Nayef said officials want to ``wait a little bit before giving details so that (information) is comprehensive.''

Saudi papers, however, reported the arrest of as many as five people in Medina in connection with the attacks on three residential compounds that killed 34 people. Al-Watan daily said at least three alleged Al-Qaeda members were arrested in an Internet cafe in the holy city of Medina, including Ali Abd al-Rahman al-Faqasi al-Ghamdi, who is believed to be the mastermind of the bombings. The paper said there were reports of two other arrests.

U.S. officials have said Al-Ghamdi is among Al-Qaeda's top men in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Watan quoted witnesses at the Internet cafe as saying Al-Ghamdi arrived in the cafe and was joined later by two companions. The three reportedly performed the noon prayers with workers at the cafe and just as they left, they were arrested by the police who had surrounded the area. They did not resist.

Al-Ghamdi's name was among those of 19 men wanted in connection with a weapons cache found on May 6 near the site of the Riyadh bombings. The 19 people were believed to be receiving orders directly from Osama bin Laden, and may have been planning to use the arms to attack Saudi royal family members and U.S. and British interests.

Despite the crackdown and their praise for Saudi efforts, U.S. officials worry about more attacks.

"There is no indication that this was one-time ... attack and that these terrorists are satisfied that they have made some sort of a point,'' Mr. Jordan, the U.S. ambassador, said. — AP

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