US embassy cable - 88RIYADH12430

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 12430 
 
S/CT FOR WHARTON 
 
E.O. 12356:  N/A 
TAGS:  PTER, SA 
SUBJECT:  SAUDI ARABIA: 1988 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF:  STATE 357278 
 
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SECTION I - UNCLASSIFIED 
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1.  THERE FOLLOWS DRAFT VERSION OF THE SAUDI ARABIAN 
SUBMISSION TO THE 1988 REPORT TO CONGRESS ON 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, KEYED TO REFTEL. 
 
2. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL POSTS-- 
 
-     A. RESULTS OF 1988 COURT PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING 
INTERNATIONAL OR DOMESTIC TERRORISM: 
 
-     FOLLOWING BOMBINGS IN MARCH AND APRIL AT TWO 
INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES AT RAS TANURA AND JUBAIL, IN THE 
EASTERN PROVINCE, AND THE DISMANTLING OF ANOTHER BOMB AT 
RAS TANURA, THREE YOUNG MEN WERE ARRESTED AT QATIF IN 
EARLY AUGUST AFTER A GUN BATTLE WITH POLICE.  THE THREE 
AND AN ACCOMPLICE WERE CHARGED WITH TERRORISM, SABOTAGE, 
CONSPIRING WITH IRAN, AND, IN THE CASE OF TWO, MURDER. 
THEY WERE TRIED IN CLOSED SESSION, ACCORDING TO SAUDI 
LAW, DURING SEPTEMBER OF 1988, FOUND GUILTY AND SENTENCED 
TO DEATH.  PRIOR TO THE EXECUTION, AUTHORITIES RECEIVED 
THREATS FROM AN UNKNOWN GROUP CALLING ITSELF "HIZBOLLAH 
OF THE HEJAZ".  AFTER REVIEW OF THE SENTENCES BY THE 
KING, THE EXECUTIONS WERE CARRIED OUT BY DECAPITATION ON 
SEPTEMBER 30.  SHORTLY THEREAFTER, AUTHORITIES RECEIVED 
THREATS OF RETALIATION FROM AN ALSO-UNKNOWN "ISLAMIC 
JIHAD OF THE HIJAZ", POSSIBLY THE SAME AS THE PREVIOUS 
GROUP. 
 
-     B. STATUS OF THE PLO IN THE HOST COUNTRY: 
 
-     THE STATUS OF THE PLO IN SAUDI ARABIA DID NOT 
CHANGE DURING 1988.  THE PLO MAINTAINS DIPLOMATIC 
REPRESENTATION IN THE KINGDOM, WITH A MISSION NEAR 
RIYADH'S DIPLOMATIC QUARTER.  SAUDI ARABIA WAS ONE OF THE 
FIRST COUNTRIES TO RECOGNIZE THE DECLARATION OF A 
PALESTINIAN STATE ISSUED BY THE PNC IN NOVEMBER, 1988. 
 
-     C. STATEMENTS BY THE HOST COUNTRY IN SUPPORT OF 
TERRORISM OR TERRORISM-SUPPORTING COUNTRIES: 
 
-     SAUDI ARABIA DID NOT MAKE ANY SUCH STATEMENTS 
DURING 1988.  IN FACT, HIGH OFFICIALS CONDEMNED TERRORISM 
ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, MOST NOTICABLY IN THE CASE OF 
THE KUWAITI AIRLINER HIJACKING IN APRIL, WHICH INVOLVED 
SAUDI CITIZENS.  AS IN THAT CASE, THEY HAVE GENERALLY 
CONDEMNED TERRORIST ACTS CARRIED OUT IN THE NAME OF THE 
PALESTINIAN CAUSE WHILE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE CONCEPT 
OF A PALESTINIAN STATE. 
 
3. SPECIFIC POST REPORTING REQUIREMENTS-- 
 
-     A. REVIEW OF MAJOR COUNTER-TERRORISM EFFORTS IN CY 
1988: 
 
-     SAUDI ARABIA CONTINUED TO SPEAK OUT STRONGLY AND 
VOTE AGAINST TERRORISM IN 1988 ON ALL APPROPRIATE 
OCCASIONS.  IN THE FIELD OF ANTI-TERRORISM TRAINING, WEST 
GERMAN SPECIALIST GEN. ULRICH WEGENER ARRIVED IN JUNE TO 
BEGIN ADVANCED TRAINING FOR THE ANTI-TERRORISM FORCES OF 
THE SAUDI SPECIAL SECURITY FORCE, FOUNDED IN 1979.  THE 
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ALSO SENT AN OFFICER TO A US 
SEMINAR ON NEGOTIATING IN HOSTAGE SITUATIONS.  FOLLOWING 
THE EASTERN PROVINCE BOMBINGS, INDUSTRIAL SECURITY WAS 
CONSIDERABLY TIGHTENED, AND CERTAIN CATEGORIES OF 
EMPLOYEES WERE PUT UNDER INCREASED SURVEILLANCE.  THE 
SAUDIS ALSO TOOK ELABORATE SECURITY PREPARATIONS FOR THE 
1988 HAJJ (THE ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA AND MEDINA) IN 
VIEW OF THE RIOTS CAUSED BY IRANIAN PILGRIMS THE YEAR 
BEFORE.  THE HAJJ WENT SMOOTHLY.  MONTHS AFTER THE HAJJ, 
THE PRESS REPORTED THAT ARMS HAD BEEN CONFISCATED FROM A 
FEW PILGRIMS. 
 
-     B. RESPONSE OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM: 
 
-     IN AUGUST, THE ULEMA (THE NATIONAL BODY OF 
RELIGIOUS JURISTS) ANNOUNCED PROMULGATION OF A NEW LAW 
DEFINING SABOTAGE AS A MAJOR CRIME FOR WHICH THE DEATH 
PENALTY WAS POSSIBLE; THE DEFINITION OF SABOTAGE IN THE 
LAW INCLUDED HIJACKING OR BOMBING AIRPLANES.  THIS LAW 
WAS REFERRED TO REPEATEDLY IN THE MEDIA DURING THE TRIAL 
AND EXECUTION OF THE MEN ARRESTED FOR THE EASTERN 
PROVINCE BOMBINGS, ALTHOUGH THEIR CRIMES WERE COMMITTED 
BEFORE THE LAW WENT INTO EFFECT.  A ROYAL DECREE, WHICH 
WAS NEVER OFFICIALLY PROMULGATED BUT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE 
SAUDI PRESS, IMPOSED SIMILAR PENALTIES FOR DEMONSTRATING 
DURING THE HAJJ, ENGAGING IN TERRORIST ACTS, OR OTHERWISE 
ATTEMPTING DISRUPTION OF THE PILGRIMAGE.  SAUDI OFFICIALS 
ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WOULD NOT HESITATE TO APPLY THESE 
LAWS FULLY IF NEEDED. 
 
-     C. SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND DIPLOMATIC 
SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM: 
 
-     THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT DOES NOT SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL 
TERRORISM AND HAS REPEATEDLY SPOKEN AND VOTED AGAINST 
TERORIST ACTS IN INTERNATIONAL FORA.  SAUDI OFFICIALS 
MAKE A CAREFUL DISTINCTION BETWEEN SUPPORT OF TERRORISM 
AND SUPPORT OF THE PLO, WHICH THEY CONSIDER A LEGITIMATE 
NATIONAL LIBERATION MOVEMENT.  WHILE DECRYING ACTS OF 
TERRORISM ALLEGEDLY COMMITTED IN THE NAME OF THE 
PALESTINIANS, SAUDI ARABIA SUPPORTS THE PLO BOTH 
POLITICALLY AND FINANCIALLY (INDEED, IT IS ONE OF THAT 
ORGANIZATION'S LEADING DONORS), AND WAS ONE OF THE FIRST 
NATIONS TO EXTEND DIPLOMATIC RECOGNITION TO THE NEW 
PALESTINIAN "STATE."  SAUDI ARABIA IS NOT A KNOWN 
SANCTUARY FOR TERRORISTS. 
 
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SECTION II - CONFIDENTIAL 
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4. IN REGARD TO PARAGRAPH 2, PART A, A POLICE SOURCE IN 
THE EASTERN PROVINCE HAS TOLD US THAT SEVERAL MORE 
PERSONS SUSPECTED OF COMPLICITY IN THE JUBAIL AND RAS 
TANURA BOMBINGS ARE STILL BEING HELD BY THE SAUDI GENERAL 
INVESTIGATIVE DIRECTORATE (GID) WHILE INVESTIGATION OF 
THE CASE CONTINUES.  THUS, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT FURTHER 
TRIALS AND EXECUTIONS WILL TAKE PLACE.  AT LEAST ONE OF 
THESE SUSPECTS IS SAID TO BE A SHIA OF LEBANESE ORIGIN, 
LEADING SAUDI POLICE TO BELIEVE THAT "HIZBOLLAH OF THE 
HIJAZ" AND "ISLAMIC JIHAD OF THE HIJAZ" ARE ONLY 
SURROGATES FOR THE LEBANESE HIZBOLLAH ORGANIZATION. 
 
 
CUTLER