ABHA, 23 September — Interior Minister Prince Naif said yesterday that the issue of cancellation of the kafalah (sponsorship) system for expatriate workers needs intensive studies. Speaking to reporters after opening a conference of police directors here, the prince said the Kingdom was keen on keeping law and order in the country. “The issue of abrogation of the sponsorship system demands thorough studies because we cannot open the country to everyone, creating chaos and confusion,” he added.
Prince Naif disclosed the ministry’s plan to study the possibility of setting up specialized companies in various parts of the Kingdom to undertake the responsibility of recruiting and supplying manpower required by Saudi firms and individuals.
Prince Naif also said that two Eritrean soldiers defected to the Kingdom on Friday. “The Eritrean soldiers, aboard a boat, took refuge in a port in the Kingdom,” he said, adding that Saudi authorities were investigating the case.
Prince Naif said the Kingdom was ready to receive the Saudi prisoners being held at the US base in Guantanamo, Cuba, and that they would be punished in accordance with Shariah.
“Whether they are guilty or innocent, they remain Saudi citizens and they only have their country which accepts them despite all that has happened, and it is capable of correcting them. If they are to be punished, they will be punished in accordance with Shariah, the law of the land,” the prince said.
He said that a Saudi team had visited the US base to identify the Saudi detainees and discuss the circumstances of their arrest. “The Interior Ministry has been taking care of the detainees’ families. The assistant interior minister for security affairs had met with each family of the detainees,” the minister said.
Referring to an anti-Saudi campaign in the West after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Prince Naif said that no nation should be judged by the actions of a few who were “deceived and brainwashed and joined groups that have nothing to do with Islam or the nation or humanity.”
“Saudi Arabia is the land of Islam and stability, and its citizens are Muslims who will never accept compromise in their faith,” he said.
On plans to introduce a tourist police force, the interior minister said the matter was under consideration. “Contacts are under way between the Interior Ministry and the Supreme Commission for Tourism in this respect,” he added.
Asked whether the Kingdom would object to a visit of an Amnesty International delegation to its prisons, Prince Naif said: “We will have no reservations on any visit or act that would positively contribute to refuting false allegations and leading to positive results.”
On the Saudis being held in Afghanistan, he said the Saudi embassies in Afghanistan and Pakistan have been told to follow up their cases. He urged the media to give more attention to the security of society, and said reports circulated by the media on security issues should be proper and accurate.
Commenting on the growing number of theft cases in the country, Prince Naif said it might be due to the vastness of the country and the large number of shops and markets. “The focus on thefts does not mean there is an increase in the rate of thefts,” he added.
Meanwhile speaking to Okaz daily, Prince Naif condemned the assassination of a Shariah court judge in the northern city of Sakaka. Unidentified gunmen opened fire at Abdul Rahman Al-Sahibani while he was going to mosque to lead the Friday prayer, fatally injuring the judge.
Describing the judge’s assassination as an obnoxious crime, Prince Naif urged security officers to step up their efforts to bring the criminals behind the attack to justice.
Asked whether the assassination emphasized the need for giving protection to judges and investigators, the prince said: “If it is required we’ll do it without delay.”
Prince Naif warned that the Kingdom’s security machinery was capable of dealing with criminals. He also reaffirmed the government’s resolve to fight drug abuse.
