JEDDAH, 9 May 2004 — Saudi Arabia declared yesterday that there would be no letup in its fight against terror. “We will show no mercy to this deviant group,” said Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard.
Addressing top officials and a group of citizens at Al-Salam Palace here, Prince Abdullah reiterated the government’s resolve to stamp out terrorism. “We are after them and God willing we’ll track them down, no matter how long it takes,” he said in reference to Al-Qaeda sympathizers who are believed to be behind a series of terror attacks in the Kingdom.
He said the terrorists, who have killed nearly 60 people and wounded hundreds of others, were the enemies of truth, justice, humanity, morality and faith.
“These people have spread corruption on the earth, killed innocent people including women and children. But, God willing, we’ll take them. We are after them, no matter how long it takes, 20 years, 30 years or more... This is our plan and we are going ahead with our plan. And I can tell you we’re doing our best,” he said.
“We are after them and there will be no change in our stand... and those who keep silent about what happened in Riyadh and Yanbu will be considered to belong to” the terrorists, he warned.
Prince Abdullah stressed the need for a joint move by the government and citizens against terrorists. “We shall not accept this (silence); it goes against religion, patriotism and morality,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted him as saying.
Saudi Arabia has stepped up its campaign against terrorists and extremists after May 12, 2003 bombings targeting residential compounds in Riyadh.
“We are in a state of war and it will end only with the extermination of this deviant group,” Interior Minister Prince Naif was quoted as saying on Friday.
He said Saudi security forces were now ahead of the terrorists’ game. “We have paralyzed the movement of terrorists,” the minister said.
Prince Abdullah received groups of citizens from Hail and Qasim, who condemned the recent terrorist attacks in the Kingdom.
“We have been shocked by these attacks as they aim to undermine the Kingdom’s unity and target innocent people including Muslims and non-Muslims,” Dr. Saleh ibn Saud Al-Ali said representing the people of Hail.
“These terrorist attacks will only strengthen the cohesion of the Saudi people and their leadership,” said Abdullah Al-Shuraida, who represented the people of Qasim.
