JEDDAH: Interpol yesterday issued a global security alert for 83 Saudi nationals and two Yemenis described as highly dangerous and suspected of plotting attacks against Saudi Arabia.
It was the first time that the world police organization had issued a so-called “Orange Notice” for such a large group of suspects, said Interpol Secretary-General Ronald Noble.
The men are wanted in Saudi Arabia on terrorism-related charges, including links to Al-Qaeda in the Kingdom, Iraq and Afghanistan, said an Interpol statement issued at its headquarters in Lyon, France.
They are described as “highly dangerous” and “could be armed, violent and suicidal,” according to the security alert. “By asking for Interpol’s assistance, Saudi Arabia wishes to ensure that all Interpol member countries are made aware that these men are dangerous and that their activities represent a security concern not only for Saudi Arabia and the entire region but also for the world as a whole,” said Noble.
“We know that we are approaching the 16th anniversary of the first World Trade Center bombing on Feb. 26, 2009, and therefore must be especially vigilant of fugitive Al-Qaeda terrorists,” he said.
The 85 men, most of whom aged between 20 and 35, are suspected of having left Saudi Arabia, probably for Iraq or Afghanistan. The Interpol alert came a day after the Council of Ministers urged the Kingdom’s neighbors to help track down the 85 wanted militants.
In Riyadh, Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki said that the men’s whereabouts were unknown but that the alert would put some pressure on them to limit their movements. “These people are always on the run,” he said.
Photos and details of the wanted men have been released on Interpol’s website www.interpol.int. The wanted militants include a man married to Osama Bin Laden’s daughter and another who was involved in a plot to kill the US ambassador in Yemen.
Saudi authorities say many of them took part in planning attacks targeting oil or security installations or provided Al-Qaeda members with weapons and money.
In a previous statement, Al-Turki said Saudi Arabia had asked for the help of Interpol to detain the suspects and return them to the Kingdom. He urged the suspects to turn themselves in at Saudi embassies abroad.
“The embassies will help them return to Saudi Arabia and be reunited with their families,” he said. “Reuniting with their families may not happen instantly. There may be a process that might include rehabilitation.”
Al-Turki said he believed many of the militants were receiving training abroad in order to carry out operations in Saudi Arabia.
