US embassy cable - 04RIYADH6449

UNCLAS  RIYADH 006449 
 
 
PLEASE PASS TO S/CT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, SA 
SUBJECT: SAUDI ARABIA: 2004 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF: STATE 245841 
 
1. (U) Per reftel, post submits the following language for 
use in the 2004 Patterns of Global Terrorism Report.  Embassy 
POC for this report is Julie Eadeh (eadehja@state.gov). 
 
2. (U) During the year, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continued 
to support the global war on terror.  Al Qai'da, in the first 
half of 2004, kept up a steady tempo of attacks--surpassing 
the variety and lethality of the previous year.  This trend 
contrasted sharply with the second half of 2004 in which the 
network remained largely on the defensive, and until 
December, was unable to mount an operation.  In 2004, 
terrorists killed many foreigners and citizens, including 6 
Americans, in attacks throughout the country.  The attacks 
consisted of kidnappings, targeted shootings, bombings, and 
beheadings.  The media reported widely on each of the attacks 
and the subsequent government crackdown, leading to a 
widespread acceptance that terrorism is a serious threat in 
the Kingdom, not only to foreigners, but to Saudis as well. 
 
3. (U) In response to the increasing wave of terrorist 
violence in the Kingdom, the Saudi government continued its 
pursuit of al-Qai'da and other terrorist operatives.  While 
experiencing casualties among security forces, Saudi 
authorities aggressively pursued terrorists and achieved 
successes.  The Government continued to publicize 
counterterrorism efforts.  Saudi authorities conducted 
high-level dialogues with U.S. officials on counterterrorism 
efforts and responded positively to requests for heightened 
security in facilities around the country. 
 
4. (U) Saudi Arabia continued a hearts and minds campaign in 
the war against terror.  During the year, Saudi authorities 
aired militant confessions and interviews with fathers of 
wanted men as part of a campaign to rally the public against 
radicals who carried out attacks in the Kingdom.  In June, 
the Grand Mufti Shaykh Abd al-Aziz Al al-Shaykh issued a 
fatwa condemning terrorist acts and calling on citizens to 
report "saboteurs and anyone planning or preparing to carry 
out terrorist acts to the concerned authorities."  Also in 
June, six senior religious leaders issued a statement 
denouncing terrorist attacks as "heinous crimes" and the 
Crown Prince delivered a speech emphasizing the important 
role every Saudi must play in combating terrorism. 
 
5. (U) As Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and 
Medina, the Saudi government worked to undermine the use of 
Islam to justify terrorist attacks.  The authorities worked 
during the year to delegitimize and discredit those who use 
Islam to justify terrorism.  Senior members of the Royal 
Family emphasized that the fight against terror is paramount 
to state security and the well-being of all Saudis.  There 
were television broadcasts during the year discussing the 
costs of terrorism and the importance of security from an 
Islamic perspective.  The Government also focused on internal 
social, political, and economic reforms as a method to combat 
underlying roots of terrorism. 
 
6. (U) During the year, the Government launched intensive 
searches and counterterrorism sweeps in the country, often 
involving thousands of Saudi security personnel.  On June 23, 
Crown Prince Abdullah issued an ultimatum to terrorists: 
surrender in 30 days or suffer the full force of the state. 
On June 29, Prince Nayif Security Academy began training 
ARAMCO employees on counterterrorism measures.  On the same 
day, the Ministry of Interior announced a 60 day pardon for 
persons to surrender unlicensed weapons.  During the year, 
the media reported that Saudi border guards seized large 
amounts of explosives and small arms on their Yemeni and 
Iraqi borders. 
 
7. (U) The judicial system remains capable of dealing with 
the terrorist threat as outlined in the U.N. Counterterrorism 
Committee Report.  The Saudi government detained those found 
responsible for terrorist attacks, and in some cases, 
executed terrorists.  The Government generally seeks 
extradition of their nationals involved in terrorist acts. 
The Saudi government continues to press Iran to extradite 
terror suspects believed to be held there. 
8. (U) During the year, the Government engaged in close 
counterterrorism cooperation with the U.S., and other 
international efforts.  The Government forbade the collection 
of cash donations at mosques or commercial establishments. 
In addition, the Saudi government restricted certain deposit, 
withdrawal, and out of country financial transfers of 
charities.  The media reported during the year that Saudi 
banks froze more than 250,000 accounts for noncompliance with 
anti-money laundering and terrorist finance laws.  In August, 
Crown Prince Abdullah told the foreign press that Saudi 
Arabia has made significant progress in decapitating the 
terrorist leadership in the Kingdom and is focusing on 
hunting down the individuals comprising the terrorist cells. 
At the United Nations General Assembly in September, the 
Saudi government announced that it would hold an 
international conference to combat terrorism in February 
2005. 
 
9. (U) A 2003 anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist 
financing law criminalized money laundering and terrorist 
financing.  The law also established a single Financial 
Intelligence Unit (FIU), as required by the Financial Action 
Task Force (FATF), to collect and analyze suspicious 
financial transactions and places stringent "Know Your 
Customer" requirements on the banking system.  In July, the 
FATF released its 15th annual report which noted that the 
Saudi government "has taken action to increase requirements 
for financial institutions on customer due diligence, 
established systems for tracing and freezing terrorist 
assets, and tightened the regulation and transparency of 
charitable organizations."  After an October ultimatum, the 
Government closed down the al-Haramain Foundation.  During 
the year, the Saudi government requested that the UN 1267 
Sanctions Committee add names to its consolidated list. 
 
10. (U) Saudi Arabia has signed nine of the 12 international 
conventions and protocols relating to terrorism and is party 
to six. 
 
OBERWETTER