RIYADH, 27 January — Interior Minister Prince Naif has stated that the authorities will soon disclose the results of investigations into the recent bomb blasts in the country. "It will be made public shortly and we will say something concrete," he added.
Four explosions took place in Riyadh and Dhahran over the past three months. A Briton was killed and five others were injured in all. The latest incident was at the Euromarche superstore in Riyadh and Prince Naif said TNT might have been used in the attack.
Prince Naif was speaking to reporters after taking part in the traditional Ardha dance in Riyadh on Wednesday. Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, opened the event which was held as part of the Janadriya cultural festival.
Asked about the spread of firecrackers and its role in the Euromarche blast, the interior minister said: "First they thought that it was caused by firecrackers... but later they learned that the explosive used was TNT."
Referring to the series of bombings that took place in the country over the past two months, he said the incidents were exaggerated by newspapers. He pointed out that the reports on the bombings in some newspapers were either incorrect or fell short of facts.
Prince Naif, who is also chairman of the Supreme Information Council, said he had discussed the matter with editors in chief of Saudi newspapers during a recent meeting in Riyadh. "We have told them to make sure the accuracy of reports before their publication," he said.
Prince Naif refuted press reports that the government was planning to allow women to drive on Saudi roads. "This issue is totally out of discussion as at present the Saudi society plainly rejects the idea," Al-Riyadh Arabic newspaper quoted the prince as saying. He made the comment when a debate in local newspapers on women driving was brought to his attention. "Any write-up or discussion on this matter is useless...," the interior minister said.
Speaking on his upcoming visit to Iran, Prince Naif confirmed that the two countries would sign a joint security agreement. The accord will cover fighting crimes, terrorism, intrusion, drug trafficking, money laundering, monitoring of borders and regional waters and extradition of criminals.
Prince Naif had said earlier that the Saudi-Iran security agreement would not have any military implication or any relation with the Gulf security.
Prince Naif called for a combined effort by the schools, homes and the society at large to combat the drug menace. "Citizens should cooperate with security agencies by informing them about drug trafficking so that together we can eradicate this epidemic," said the prince.
He advised Saudi youths and children to spend their holidays in useful things like traveling within the Kingdom to know more about their country. He also urged them to keep away from activities that cause harm to others.
