JEDDAH, 1 July 2005 — A Saudi terror suspect reportedly surrendered to the Saudi Embassy in Beirut on Tuesday. Another militant has been killed in Iraq. Both were on a new wanted list issued by the Ministry of Interior.
Okaz newspaper said Faiz Ibrahim Ayub, 30, turned himself in to the Saudi Embassy in the Lebanese capital one day after the list of 36 wanted terrorists was released. Twenty-one named on the list are thought to be outside the Kingdom and 15 are believed to be at large inside Saudi Arabia.
The daily quoted Ayub’s brother, Salah, as saying he had received a telephone call from his brother in which he said he was on his way to the Saudi Embassy “in an Arab country” to give himself up.
Contacted by Arab News, a Saudi Embassy official in Beirut said they had no idea of the surrender. “We know nothing about this. To us these reports are just rumors and are not true.”
The embassy employee said he did not know what sources the press relied on when reporting such news. He added that to his knowledge, the embassy did not have any information about this matter.
Asharq Al-Awsat quoted the brother of another Saudi militant on the wanted list, Faris Abdullah Al-Dhahiry, 22, as saying his brother was killed in Iraq in November.
On Wednesday, Interior Minister Prince Naif expressed confidence in the capabilities of the Saudi security forces. “Our security agencies are on full alert and are capable of reaching them and foiling their terrorist plans and operations,” he said.
Prince Naif said Al-Qaeda militants in the Kingdom would be tried in accordance with Shariah, and promised a fair trial.
The list of the 36 suspects included seven foreigners from Chad, Morocco, Mauritania, Yemen and Kuwait.
The ministry has offered a bounty of up to SR7 million for anyone who helps capture a terrorist or foil an attack.
A member of the Shoura Council, who is a leading cleric, has said clerics in the Kingdom are willing to talk with the individuals who strayed from the right path and convince them to return to the Muslim fold.
Sheikh Abdul Mohsin Al-Obaikan, who is member of the Kingdom’s Supreme Ulema (scholars) Council, said both the government and the scholars are willing to initiate a debate and convince them to return to the right path. He referred to the royal amnesty issued last year for militants to turn themselves in as a sign of such willingness.
Al-Obaikan said following the amnesty a number of terrorists had surrendered to the authorities voluntarily and were currently leading a normal life with their families.
“We are ready to enter into dialogue with whoever is willing to return to the right path of Islam. Islam is the religion of mercy and peace,” he added.
