JEDDAH, 19 July 2004 — Foreign countries have handed over 27 wanted Saudis to the Kingdom’s security forces, a government source said yesterday.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the source said the authorities had “received 27 Saudi nationals wanted on security grounds from sisterly countries.” The statement did not name the countries that handed over the wanted Saudis but said because of investigations under way it could give no immediate details and that new developments would be announced on the appropriate time.
At least 87 policemen and civilians, many of them expatriate workers, have been killed since May 2003 in a series of attacks carried out by terrorists on security forces, energy sites and residential compounds.
A one- month amnesty by the government calling on terrorists and militants to surrender or face a full crackdown by the state will expire on July 23. Officials have said the amnesty will not be extended. Four men have so far surrendered to the authorities, two in the Kingdom, one in Syria and a fourth in Iran. Under the terms of the amnesty the government will waive charges against militants who surrender, but it has said relatives of victims will retain the right to seek redress.
Crown Prince Abdullah has warned mosque imams they are being closely monitored and reminded the preachers they had to battle extremists.
“Tell your brothers, the mosque imams, that we are keeping an eye on them and we know them,” the crown prince told a delegation of imams whom he received at the Royal Court in Jeddah on Saturday. The delegation was part of several other delegations including tribal chiefs, academics and dignitaries who condemned the terrorist acts and declared their full support to the Kingdom’s leadership in its efforts to stamp out terrorism.
