JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia said yesterday that it would continue its campaign against militants trying to undermine its security. It urged all countries in the region to help track down the most wanted militants who appeared on a list of 85 published by the Interior Ministry last week.
The Council of Ministers, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, commended Saudi security forces for their successful efforts in confronting deviants, a term used by authorities to describe members and supporters of the Al-Qaeda terror network in the Kingdom.
“As a result of these intensive campaigns they (extremists) lost ground inside the Kingdom and went abroad with the hope of carrying out terrorist operations against their country and people from there,” the Cabinet said referring to the 83 Saudi and two Yemeni militants wanted by the Kingdom.
The Cabinet meeting praised Saudi society for realizing the danger posed by those who create chaos and corruption through their destructive thoughts and ideologies.
The meeting commended King Abdullah for opening a number of educational and development projects worth more than SR14 billion at King Saud University in Riyadh. “These projects will contribute to promote education, science and technology, knowledge and innovation, enhancing the competitiveness of the Saudi society and boosting the economy,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the Cabinet as saying.
The Cabinet urged all Somali factions to cooperate with the new President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed as well as to work together to achieve national reconciliation, discarding violence, in order to put an end to the tragic situation of the African country’s people.
Earlier, King Abdullah briefed the ministers on the outcome of his talks with Turkish President Abdullah Gul in Riyadh and emphasized Saudi Arabia’s keenness to strengthen ties with Ankara.
The Cabinet meeting commended the cooperation between the two countries in various fields and their continuous consultation on regional and international issues. “The two countries give importance to strengthening peace and stability in the region without being led into extremist plans,” the SPA said.
Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani said the Cabinet took a number of other important decisions. It approved the working mechanism for the committee in charge of monitoring real estate funding. The decision allows the panel to question owners of such businesses and their auditing offices.
“If the owners of real estate businesses do not respond to the committee within 30 days, it should inform the authorities concerned to take appropriate action against them,” the Cabinet said. The committee will have the authority to take all measures required for protecting the rights of shareholders.
The Cabinet authorized the minister of petroleum and minerals to sign a memorandum of understanding with China, as an annex to a previous protocol signed by the two countries for cooperation in petroleum, gas and minerals, Madani said.
