RIYADH, 5 December 2007 — Researchers and specialists at the Information Technology and National Security conference organized by the Presidency of Saudi Intelligence recommended yesterday that special laws or regulations be drafted that would criminalize the spread of terrorist ideologies, which would be agreed upon by the international community. They recommended that committees be established with the cooperation of a United Nations team to monitor the spread of terrorist ideologies.
The recommendation came two days after Interior Minister Prince Naif said it was unfortunate that the ideological battle against terrorism in Saudi Arabia was not up to the level of expectations.
The recommendations, which were read at the conclusion of the three-day conference by deputy head of the Presidency of Saudi Intelligence Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Bandar ibn Abdul Aziz, urged that a thin line be drawn between freedom of individuals and national security.
Participants recommended a balance between the freedom of information and the protection of the individual and his privacy or any other violation of private rights in Saudi Arabia. A proper strategy should be drafted, they said, to protect financial information of online consumers.
They also recommend that “enhanced training programs” be given to security officers with regard to the negative usage of the Internet and threats to national security.
With regard to electronic thefts, participants recommended that governments benefit from IT in operations related to fraud, electronic crimes, and take the necessary measures to combat them.
They also recommended that public awareness be increased about IT and future national security threats to nations be applied through local media programs, as well as educational programs in universities and public schools.
Participants urged that intelligence agencies cooperate with universities and research centers to gather and analyze information, as well as cooperate with IT specialists, psychologists, forensic experts and related authorities to sustain information infrastructure.
At yesterday’s final sessions, Khaled Al-Firm, an IT specialist, called for the establishment of an international media forum to combat radicalism and terror. Al-Firm quoted Prince Abdul Aziz as saying that there were 17,000 websites on the Internet which fuel Al-Qaeda ideology, with an annual increase of 9,000 websites per year that seek to find new recruits by brainwashing people.
He said that media battles waged by Al-Qaeda were as deadly as the military operations themselves. He pointed out that while the December 2004 attack on the US Consulate in Jeddah was a failure, it received huge publicity providing PR boon to the militants that planned the attack.
“Terrorists do not just focus on military success. There is a third angle to the operation which is the glory of publicity, which compensates for the failure of the operation,” he said.
Tarek Al-Suwaidan, the well-known Islamic preacher known for his moderate approach, made an unexpected visit to the conference and mentioned how young minds could be easily brainwashed by deviants and the importance of nurturing the young generation and taking care of their needs.
