US embassy cable - 01RIYADH2627

UNCLAS RIYADH 002627 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, SA 
SUBJECT: TFUS01: SAUDI REACTION TO SEPTEMBER 11 
TERRORIST ATTACKS 
 
REF: RIYADH 2620 
 
OFFICIAL SAG REACTION 
--------------------- 
 
1.  ON THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 11, THE SAUDI 
GOVERNMENT ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT (UNOFFICIAL 
TRANSLATION): 
 
THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA EXPRESSES ITS CONDEMNATION 
OF THE REGRETTABLE AND INHUMAN EXPLOSIONS AND ATTACKS 
WHICH OCCURRED AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN NEW YORK 
AND THE PENTAGON IN WASHINGTON IN THE U.S.A.  THE 
KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA STRONGLY CONDEMNS ACTS SUCH AS 
THESE WHICH ARE IN CONFLICT WITH ALL RELIGIOUS VALUES 
AND SOCIAL AND HUMAN UNDERSTANDING.  THE KINGDOM 
OFFERS ITS SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILIES OF THE 
VICTIMS, TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, AND TO THE 
AMERICAN PEOPLE.  THE KINGDOM REITERATES ITS 
CONDEMNATION OF TERRORISM AND WILL CONTINUE TO ACT 
ALONG WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO COMBAT 
TERRORISM IN ALL OF ITS FORMS. 
 
2.  SAUDI MEDIA COVERAGE WILL BE REPORTED SEPTEL, BUT 
THE STORY DOMINATES WITH A SOMBER EDITORIAL TONE 
EXPRESSING SHOCK, GLOOM, SADNESS AND DEPRESSION. 
 
PUBLIC REACTION 
--------------- 
 
3.  MOVING ABOUT RIYADH ON THE NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 11, 
POLOFF OBSERVED A BEEFED-UP SAG SECURITY PRESENCE, 
PARTICULARLY AROUND THE DIPLOMATIC QUARTER.  LOCAL 
STORES WERE BUSY, THOUGH FEW WESTERN EXPATS WERE 
SHOPPING.  POLOFF HAD SEVERAL CHANCE ENCOUNTERS WITH 
SAUDIS AND NON-WESTERN EXPATS, ALL OF WHOM EXPRESSED 
CONDOLENCES AND OFFERED SYMPATHY.  AN ENCOUNTER 
OUTSIDE OF A LARGE SHOPPING MALL WAS REPRESENTATIVE. 
A GROUP OF FOUR THIRTY-ISH SAUDI MALES EXPRESSED 
CONDOLENCES, THEN ONE COMMENTED THAT HE WAS CONCERNED 
ABOUT FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS, ESPECIALLY REGARDING WHAT 
HE FELT WOULD BE AN INEVITABLE BACKLASH AGAINST ARABS 
AND MUSLIMS.  ANOTHER SAID THAT THIS TYPE OF ACTION 
WAS UNCALLED FOR IN ANY SITUATION AND ASSERTED THAT 
"TRUE MUSLIMS" WOULD NOT HESITATE IN CONDEMNING THE 
ACTION.  STILL, THEY SAID, THE ONGOING INTIFADA IN THE 
PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES HAD CREATED A GREAT DEAL OF 
RANCOR TOWARDS THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.  THEY IMPLIED 
THAT THE U.S. SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED A RESPONSE TO THE 
GROWING TENSION GIVEN ALL THE WARNINGS SENT FROM THE 
ARAB WORLD ABOUT THE DETERIORATING SITUATION.  WHILE 
IN NO WAY JUSTIFYING THE ATTACKS OR SHOWING ANY 
SATISFACTION, THE MESSAGE WAS CLEAR: "WE TOLD YOU SO." 
 
4.  SHORTLY AFTER NEWS OF THE ATTACKS WAS BROADCAST ON 
LOCAL MEDIA, AN AMCIT EXECUTIVE AT A LARGE SAUDI 
COMPANY REPORTED THAT HIS SAUDI COLLEAGUES AND 
SUBORDINATES REACTED WITH MIXED EMOTIONS: SOME 
EXPRESSED SHOCK AND SYMPATHY, OTHERS REACTED WITH 
GRATIFICATION THAT "AMERICA IS FEELING PAIN," WHILE 
STILL OTHERS VOICED CONCERN THAT THE INCIDENTS MIGHT 
SOMEHOW INTERFERE WITH THE U.S. VISA ISSUANCE PROCESS 
AND THEIR FUTURE TRAVEL TO THE U.S. 
 
5.  ANOTHER CONTACT WHO HAS BEEN CLOSELY MONITORING 
PAN-ARAB SATELLITE VERNACULAR NEWS COVERAGE AND 
ARABIC-LANGUAGE INTERNET MESSAGE BOARDS STATED THAT 
SAUDIS AND OTHER ARABS ARE GINNING UP NUMEROUS 
CONSPIRACY THEORIES WHICH ATTRIBUTE RESPONSIBILITY FOR 
THE ATTACKS TO VIRTUALLY EVERYONE EXCEPT ARABS (MOSSAD 
AGENTS, MILOSEVIC-SUPPORTING YUGOSLAVS, AND UNDERLINGS 
OF A RECENTLY-EXTRADITED COLOMBIAN DRUG LORD ARE THE 
PRIME SUSPECTS).  A NUMBER OF APPARENTLY INACCURATE 
REPORTS (E.G. EXPLOSION AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT, 
DELIBERATE USG SHOOT-DOWN OF AIRLINER NEAR PITTSBURGH, 
ATTACK ON CAMP DAVID) REMAIN IN CIRCULATION.  FEARS OF 
AN ANTI-ARAB/ANTI-MUSLIM BACKLASH IN THE U.S. APPEAR 
WIDESPREAD. 
 
6.  EMBASSY OFFICERS HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS CALLS AND 
E-MAIL MESSAGES FROM SAUDI, WESTERN, AND DIPLOMATIC 
COLLEAGUES EXPRESSING SHOCK AND HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES. 
 
SCOBEY