Westerners in Saudi face new threats

A statement purportedly from al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia has warned of new attacks on US and Western airlines, installations and areas frequented by Westerners. 

Al-Qaida's statement followed Sunday's attack in Riyadh

“All compounds, bases and means of transport, especially Western and American airlines, will be a direct target for our coming operations in the near future,” said the statement, posted on Monday on a pro-al-Qaida site on the internet. 

It asked Muslims to keep away from Americans and other Westerners to avoid falling victim to an attack by the armed network led by Saudi-born Usama bin Ladin. 

“We also warn security forces and guards of Crusader (Western) compounds and American bases and all those who stand with America, its agents … and the tyrants of the Saudi government, and urge them to repent,” said the statement, signed by al-Qaida’s Organisation in the Arabian Peninsula. 

Serial assaults

The statement followed a gun attack that killed a BBC cameraman and critically wounded a BBC correspondent in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Sunday, the fourth in five weeks on foreigners in the kingdom. 

A week earlier armed al-Qaida fighters killed 22 people, 19 of
them foreigners, in a shooting and hostage-taking spree in the oil city of Khobar. The assault helped push oil prices to record highs before producers promised to raise output. 

Source: Reuters