JEDDAH, 31 August 2004 — Crown Prince Abdullah yesterday emphasized that Saudi Arabia would go ahead with its nationwide campaign to rid the country of all extremists and sought full cooperation of Saudis in the ongoing battle against terror.
“There will be no letup in this campaign,” he said while addressing the weekly meeting of Council of Ministers at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah.
Prince Abdullah also stated that the Saudi leadership and people would stand united against “the deviant group,” in an apparent reference to Al-Qaeda sympathizers blamed for a series of terrorist attacks in the Kingdom.
He commended “the strong bond” between the citizens and their leadership, adding that it manifested itself in the feelings expressed by citizens during meetings with him. “The deviant elements will not be able to weaken this relationship,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted Prince Abdullah as saying.
The crown prince was all praise for the Saudi security forces who have tracked down a number of most-wanted suspects and foiled many terrorist attacks. “We’ll finish off all those who dare to tamper with our security and stability. We’ll not show any leniency in this matter,” he added.
The Cabinet meeting denounced the Israeli human rights violations against Palestinian prisoners and criticized the double standard of international organizations and human rights bodies who keep mum on the Israeli atrocities. “Where are the condemnations of governments against these inhumane practices?” it asked.
The Kingdom urged the United Nations and the International Human Rights Commission to look into “the pathetic situation” of Palestinian prisoners and hold Israel responsible for it being the occupation force.
“Israel must be held responsible for all the rights violations against the Palestinians and tried for the crimes being committed against the Palestinian prisoners. It should also present those who committed crimes for trial as war criminals,” the Cabinet statement said.
Culture and Information Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy said the Cabinet meeting reviewed the security situation in Iraq and expressed satisfaction over the peaceful settlement in Najaf.
The Cabinet called the settlement “a good beginning” and urged all Iraqi factions to work together to make Iraq an effective member of the Arab League, he added.
The Cabinet approved the agreement with European Commission on the rights and privileges of its mission in Riyadh.
It authorized the Islamic affairs minister to hold talks with his Moroccan counterpart to sign a memorandum of understanding between the two ministries.
The meeting also endorsed the memorandum signed with Sudan for educational and scientific cooperation.
It appointed Moussa ibn Muhammad Al-Omar legal adviser at the Interior Ministry, and Fayez ibn Hussein Abdul Jawad director general at the general intelligence presidency.
