Saudi Arabia lists top 26 terror suspects ( 2003-12-07 10:45) (Agencies)
Saudi Arabia issued the names
and photos of its 26 most wanted terrorist suspects and increased protection
around Western housing compounds in the capital Saturday as the United States
upgraded its security warning, restricting its diplomats' movements.
The new U.S. warning ordered embassy and consulate staff not to leave the
heavily guarded diplomatic quarters in Riyadh and other cities, except for
essential duties.
The steps came days after the United States and Britain warned that militants
were scoping out Western residence complexes for a possible new terrorist attack
following two suicide bombings on compounds this year that killed a total of 52
people.
Separately, an American and a Briton have been detained by Saudi authorities
in Jiddah, the U.S. and British embassies said Saturday, but embassy officials
said they did not know the reason. A state-controlled newspaper identified the
American as the brother of two people who have pleaded guilty in the United
States to conspiring to help al-Qaida.
A U.S. diplomat declined to say if the new restrictions on diplomats'
movements were in response to a specific terrorist threat. Saudi security forces
have strongly defended the Riyadh Diplomatic Quarter, an area of about five
square miles west of the city, since suicide bombers attacked three housing
compounds for foreigners in the capital on May 12.
The Saudi government on Saturday published the names and photographs of its
26 most wanted people, alleging they were "connected to the terrorist events in
the kingdom over the past months." The list included one Yemeni citizen, two
Moroccans and 23 Saudis.
In a release aired on state television and released on the official Saudi
Press Agency, the Interior Ministry said Saturday it was offering a reward of
$267,000 to information leading to the arrest of one of the 26 wanted. The
reward would rise to $1.3 million for information leading to the arrest of more
than one wanted person, and to $1.9 million for actions that foil an attempted
terrorist attack.
At the Seder Village compound — specified by U.S. and British officials last
week as a possible target — policemen with pistols were replaced by Special
Forces troops with heavy machine-guns on Saturday. Additional roadblocks were
installed.
At the Arabian Homes, another compound where expatriates tend to live in
Riyadh, there were extra National Guardsmen in armored personnel carriers with
their fingers on the trigger, said a resident, William Barilika, an American
businessman from Stamford, Conn.
"I was puzzled when I came home from work ... I asked myself 'I wonder what's
going on?'," said Barilika.
The Saudi government launched a widespread crackdown on Islamic militants and
al-Qaida cells on its soil following the May suicide bombings, which killed 35
people, including nine attackers. Hundreds of suspects have been arrested. On
Nov. 8, a new suicide attack on a Riyadh housing compound killed 17 people. Both
attacks have been blamed on al-Qaida.
Meanwhile, a U.S. diplomat at the consulate in Jiddah confirmed that Saudi
police arrested an American citizen but told The Associated Press, "we don't
know why." British Embassy spokesman Barry Peach identified the British detainee
as David Heaton, a convert to Islam.
"We have contacted his next of kin, and we are seeking reasons for his
detention from the Saudi authorities," Peach said.
The U.S. diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, refused to identify
the American.
A state-controlled newspaper, Arab News, said the American was Abdullatif
Ibrahim Bilal. It reported he is the brother of Ahmed and Muhammad Bilal, who
are awaiting sentencing by a U.S. court after pleading guilty to charges of
conspiring to help al-Qaida and the Taliban and to violating the law on
firearms. They face up to 14 years in prison.
Ibrahim Bilal, father of the three brothers, refused to comment when the AP
called him. Arab News quoted him as saying his son had been detained, but he had
no idea why.
While both men were detained in Jiddah, it was not clear if they were linked.
Hours before the Nov. 8 attacks, the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and consulates in
Jiddah and Dhahran closed, warning an attack could be imminent. The three
missions reopened a week later.
The Australian and British embassies also upgraded their security warnings
shortly before Nov. 8, saying they had received information of a specific
threat.
Earlier this month, Britain repeated its warning on Saudi Arabia, telling its
citizens it advised against "all but essential travel" to the kingdom.
"Following terrorist attacks in Riyadh in May and November, we continue to
believe terrorists are planning further attacks in Saudi Arabia," the British
Embassy said on Dec. 2.