RIYADH/JEDDAH, 29 June 2005 — Saudi Arabia yesterday issued a new list of 36 suspects believed to be linked to a series of terror attacks across the country, reflecting the government’s resolve to go ahead with its anti-terror campaign.
In the latest response to a two-year campaign of bombings and killings by supporters of the Al-Qaeda terror network, the Interior Ministry broadcast pictures of the suspects on state television and offered hefty rewards for their capture. “Security authorities managed to uncover plans by the deviant group who used themselves as a tool to distort Islam and harm the security of the country,” the ministry said in a statement.
The announcement came days after a report that one of the last remaining militants — Abdullah Al-Rashoud — on an earlier list of 26 most wanted terrorists had been killed in Iraq.
Officials say at least 90 civilians and more than 40 members of the security forces have been killed by militants.
Police have killed more than 100 terrorists during the same period and there have been no attacks this year comparable to the multiple suicide bombings of residential compounds in 2003 or the targeted killings of Westerners 12 months ago.
The ministry offered a bounty of up to SR7 million for anyone who helps capture a terrorist or foil an attack. Most of the wanted men on the new list are Saudis while some are from Chad, Yemen, Morocco and Mauritania. Fifteen are believed to be at large inside Saudi Arabia while 21 are outside the Kingdom.
Speaking to Arab News, Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, Interior Ministry spokesman, said the ministry released the new list after thorough investigations. Referring to the suspects outside the Kingdom, Al-Turki said: “We don’t have information on their whereabouts, but we know they have fled the Kingdom.”
Saudi analyst Faris ibn Houzam said that of those outside Saudi Arabia, most were likely to be in neighboring Iraq. “The issue for the government is when those fighters in Iraq return to Saudi Arabia,” he told Arab News.
This is the first time the government has issued a list of terrorists outside of the Kingdom, he said. “By releasing the list, the ministry is giving an early warning on the men,” he added. “The list also proved that terrorists in the Kingdom have been receiving outside support.” He also pointed out that many terrorists fled the Kingdom as a result of the government’s fierce campaign against the militants.
Saudi security consultant Nawaf Obaid said most of the Saudis — who made up 29 of the 36 names on the new list — were “second tier” militants who had worked under more senior operatives, most of whom have been killed or captured.
All but two men on a previous Saudi list of 26 wanted men, published in December 2003, are believed dead or in custody. The non-Saudis are wanted by Saudi Arabia but “also represent a threat in their native countries” because they have gained access to money, logistics and training, Obaid said.
Saudi Arabia has been battling Al-Qaeda terrorists, who have staged several bloody attacks on foreign residents, government sites and energy-industry installations in the last two years.
Kevin Rosser of London-based Control Risks said the publication of the latest list showed Saudi officials were not easing up in their fight with the militants. “In some ways it’s a very positive step, but it also shows the long-term nature of the problem,” he said. “It’s a deeply entrenched and open-ended struggle,” he added.
The ministry called on the wanted men to surrender, saying this would be “taken into consideration when looking into their case.”
The statement, which was carried by the Saudi Press Agency, said the families of the suspects as well as the countries of foreign suspects have been informed that the government is searching for them. “Through information retrieved from those who had taken part in the terrorist attacks since May 12, 2003, it was able to reach valid information about other suspects involved,” the ministry said.
The ministry warned citizens and residents against dealing with the suspects, adding that authorities would question anyone who dealt with them.
“The release of the new list offers a chance for anyone who had cooperated or dealt with these suspects in the past to approach security officers to explain their actions, a measure that would relieve them from later being questioned and from charges that could be leveled against them for taking part in terrorist acts,” it said.
The ministry has offered SR1 million to anyone who gives any information that leads to the capture of a wanted terror suspect on the list. SR5 million will be given to anyone who gives any information that leads to the capture of more than one suspect. SR7 million will be given to anyone who gives information that foils a plot to carry out a terrorist act.
The new list of terrorists is as follows:
(A) Terror suspects who are wanted for their roles in terrorist activities in the country and are believed to be inside the Kingdom. (1) Younus Mohamed Al-Hiyari, 36, Moroccan. He entered the country in 1991 to perform Haj. He has not left the country since and has gone underground. He has a wife and a child and was last seen east of Riyadh. (2) Fahd Farraj Al-Juwair, 35, Saudi. Born in Zulfi, his last residence was in Riyadh. (3) Zaid Saad Al-Samary, 31, Saudi. His last residence was in Al-Kharj. (4) Abdul Rahman Saleh Al-Miteb, 26, Saudi. He was born in Zulfi and lived in this central city. (5) Saleh Mansour Al-Harbi, 22, Saudi. He used to live in Buraidah in the Qasim region. (6) Sultan Saleh Al-Hasry, 26, Saudi. He used to live in Madinah. (7) Mohamed Abdul Rahman Al-Suwailemi, 23, Saudi. He used to live in Riyadh and has good computer skills. He is also good in using the Internet. He was last seen in Al-Kharj. (8) Mohamed Saleh Al-Ghaith, 23, Saudi. He used to live in Riyadh. (9) Abdullah Abdul Aziz Al-Tuwaijeri, 21, Saudi. He used to live in Buraidah. (10) Mohamed Saeed Al-Amry, 25, Saudi. He used to live in Madinah. (11) Ibrahim Abdullah Al-Motair, 21, Saudi. He was born in Zulfi where he used to live. He was last seen in Al-Kharj. (12) Walid Mutlaq Al-Radadi, 21, Saudi. He used to live in Madinah and was last seen in Al-Kharj. (13) Naif Farhan Al-Shammary, 24, Saudi. He used to live in Hafr Al-Baten. (14) Majed Hamid Al-Hasry, 29, Saudi. He used to live in Riyadh. (15) Abdullah Muhaya Al-Shammary, 24, Saudi. He used to live in Hail.
(B) Terror suspects who are wanted for their role in domestic terrorist activities but information says they are abroad: (1) Noor Mohamed Moussa, 21, Chadian. (2) Manour Mohamed Yousef, 24, Chadian. (3) Othman Mohamed Kourani, 23, Chadian. (4) Mohsen Ayed Al-Fadhli, 25, Kuwaiti. (5) Abdullah Walad Mohamed Sayyed, 37, Mauritanian. (6) Zaid Hassan Humaid, 34, Yemeni. (7) Fahd Saleh Al-Mahyani, 24, Saudi. (8) Adnan Abdullah Al-Sharief, 28, Saudi. (9) Marzouq Faisal Al-Otaibi, 32, Saudi. (10) Adel Abdullateef Al-Sanie, 27, Saudi. (11) Mohamed Abdul Rahman Al-Dhait, 21, Saudi. (12) Sultan Sunaitan Al-Dhait, 24, Saudi. (13) Saleh Saeed Al-Ghamdi, 40, Saudi. (14) Faiz Ibrahim Ayub, 30, Saudi. (15) Khaled Mohamed Al-Harbi, 29, Saudi. (16) Mohamed Othman Al-Zahrani, 44, Saudi. (17) Abdullah Mohamed Al-Rumayan, 27, Saudi. (18) Mohamed Saleh Al-Rashoudi, 24, Saudi. (19) Saad Mohamed Al-Shahry, 31, Saudi. (20) Ali Matir Al-Osaimy, 23, Saudi. (21) Faris Abdullah Al-Dhahiry, 22, Saudi.
This is the third list of wanted terrorists released by the ministry. On May 7, 2003, the ministry released a list of 19 top terrorists saying that they were from Al-Qaeda and were wanted by the government for plotting a major terrorist attack in the Kingdom.
Five days later, on May 12, several terrorists blew up detonated cars that targeted three Western compounds in the capital. Thirty-two people were killed in the triple suicide bombings. Since then, security forces in the Kingdom have been engaged in battles with Al-Qaeda militants.
By the end of 2003, the ministry released a second list of top terrorists; this time the number was 26, the majority of whom were Saudi nationals.
