He described the militants as “Khawarij” (those who went out of the fold) for going against the views of the Muslim nation and its leaders. "They called Muslims and Muslim rulers infidels," he said, underlining the efforts of the Kingdom's security and educational institutions to protect Saudi people from deviant thoughts.

Prince Naif, who is honorary president of the Arab Interior Ministers Council, said the two-day meeting that opened Tuesday will discuss a draft of the Arab intellectual security strategy. He said such a strategy was essential to strengthen the security of Arab countries.

He underscored the council's achievements in setting strategic plans to combat terrorism, organized crime and drug trafficking, and ensuring traffic safety and civilian protection. "These achievements deserve the appreciation of not only Arab governments but also Arab people," he said.

Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali opened the meeting and emphasized the need to bolster Arab unity.

Before leaving Riyadh for Tunis on Monday, Prince Naif said Saudi Arabia would not ban anyone from traveling abroad without any reason. "We'll not ban anyone from traveling except those people who are suspicious," the minister said when a reporter asked him whether the Kingdom had any plan to stop young men from traveling to neighboring countries. The prince, however, urged parents to keep a watch on their children and not to allow them to travel alone.

He refuted allegations that the discussions of Arab interior ministers were aimed at protecting Arab leaders and their governments. "All resolutions taken by our meetings concern the security of Arab citizens. They also focus on developing Arab security machineries and strengthening cooperation between them," he said.