Saudi Arabia's Terror Challenge

By OLIVIER GUITTA (Middle East Times)Published: February 23, 2009
Saudi Arabia recently released a list of 85 most wanted terrorists. Eighty-three of the individuals are Saudi nationals, the other two are Yemenis. These individuals are suspected of wanting to revive al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia, attack oil facilities inside the kingdom and overthrow the monarchy. Because of the nationality of the suspects, the Saudi regime is taking this threat very seriously.

Interestingly out of the 85 men, 14 had been previously detained at Guantanamo Bay and undergone the Saudi rehabilitation program for jihadis.

A telling example is that of Abdullah Thabet, a 34-year-old literature teacher. Thabet was born in a tribal world, in a village in the Assir region near the Yemen border. He wanted to restore the caliphate and views al-Qaida mastermind Osama bin Laden as one of his heroes. Thabet left his family to head into clandestine cells that launched raids against "non-believers."

Inspired by his jihadist years, Thabet wrote a novel entitled "The 20th terrorist." Out of the 19 terrorists involved in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, 15 were Saudi, many of whom came from the Assir area. Thabet wanted to show in his book how so many young Saudis plunged into terrorism. Indeed, in the real world, some of his former companions are or were fighting in Iraq, or clandestinely preparing attacks in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi authorities are realizing the hugeness of the problem. The tipping point came when some of its own citizens joined al-Qaida, determined to overthrow the monarchy. Saudi Deputy Minister of Education and Teaching Mohammed Said Maliss, ordered the removal of certain radical and extremist books from school libraries and education centers. Among these books is one about Sayyed Qutb, one of the most influential Islamist thinkers who serves as a reference to al-Qaida and other Islamist groups. Another book now banned clearly calls for jihad, in the name of Islam.

The second step taken by the regime was the reshuffling of the government that took place on Feb. 14. Most importantly was the replacement of the hardcore Wahhabi Education Minister Abdullah Bin Saleh al-Obaid by prince Faisal bin Abdullah, who is viewed as more moderate.

King Abdullah wants the system reformed, but has to proceed with caution so as not to upset the conservative base. Faisal will have at his disposal huge amount of funds since the education minister gets about one-fourth of the Saudi budget.

King Abdullah also fired the head of the religious police, the Mutawaa which ensures proper application of the Islamic Sharia law. The Mutawaa has often been criticized for its heavy handedness. indeed, the king is cognizant of some of the excesses committed by the religious police and his recent changes in the cabinet reflects his thinking.

The recent moves implemented by the regime are certainly small steps to tackle the problem of extremism in the kingdom. But they are a start.

--

Olivier Guitta is an Adjunct Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and a foreign affairs and counterterrorism consultant. You can read his latest work at

Photo Essay: Pashtun anti-Taliban Rally in Toronto

February 16, 2009

Photo Essay: Pashtun anti-Taliban Rally in Toronto

A peace rally which seemed to have started as a way to condemn the killing of civilians by all sides in the conflict rapidly degenerates into condemnation of the Taliban. At least, the general condemn them all attitude adopted by the peace faction of the Left seems to be the general gist of the press releases about the rally I was sent. However, early reports from those at the rally seem to indicate that it had a distinct anti-Taliban bent to it.

I can't speak to whether or not Pakistani forces routinely kill civilians. It certainly wouldn't surprise or shock me. What I can say is that the Taliban does routinely -- and proudly -- kill civilians.

For our part we do reluctantly kill civilians when we use Predators to fire on HVTs within Pakistan. And inasmuch as some segments of the Pashtun community within Pakistan harbor the Taliban, al Qaeda, and other related groups within the compounds which often also house extended families, I expect that we will continue to kill civilians.

There is really only one way to end this: defeat the Taliban. I'm sorry about that, but that is how wars are ended.

And in the context of Pakistan, the demands of "peace" and "schools for girls" are rather mutually exclusive demands. At least, these demands cannot both be met when peace is bought through allowing the adoption of sharia law in majority Pashtun regions. Like the Pakistani government has over the weekend.

Especially given that the kind of sharia familiar to Pashtuns in the area is of the Deobandi-Hanafi strain. A kind of Islamic law so strict and backward looking, that it spurred al Qaeda's leading early philosopher, Abdullah Azzam, to warn Arabs coming to Afghanistan for the jihad to prepare for culture shock. Can you imagine Saudis shocked that the local version of Islam was so strict?

Anyway, it's interesting to see the images from the rally below. They were sent to me by Zbig. He reports that even though it was well below zero, that about 250-300 people attended the rally. In an interesting twist, at least one of those at the rally brought an Israeli flag.
By Rusty at February 16, 2009 11:30 AM

Two Muslims arrested in Granada for producing videos inciting terrorism

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/spain/uploads/2/christianpesoruizcoelloandmariachoubina.jpg


By h.b. - Feb 18, 2009 - 8:48 AM

Christian Peso Ruiz Coello and Maria Choubina - Ministry of the Interior

Both aged 23, the man is a Granadino and his girlfriend comes from Russia

A Muslim soldier and one other have been arrested in Granada, accused of inciting jihad against Spain.

The two are alleged to have placed videos with jihadist content on the internet which called on people to carry out terrorist attacks in Spain, mixed with nostalgia calls for the liberation of Al Andalus.

23 year old Christian Peso Ruiz Coello is from Granada, and Maria Choubina who is the same age is Russian. He has been working in the Air Force in wing 78 base in Armilla, and both practice Islam.

His father says the whole affair is a misunderstanding.

Listen to moderate Muslims

Farid Ghadry
Published: 02.18.09, 11:07 / Israel Opinion
The Middle East is engaged today in a battle for its soul and the decisions acted upon by the new Obama and Israeli administrations will either defer a Muslim Renaissance by offering an olive branch to violent dictators like Assad or institute a sensible strategy to help usher a new era in the region. Real peace - not the ceremonial one intended to decorate resumes - is only possible by helping free the people of Syria to embrace their democratic neighbors.

Middle Eastern countries with violent dictators, such as Syria and Iran, have brought the region to a boiling point because our non-evolutionary civilization is accelerating backwards on steroids of a deadly combination of hate and pride; hate administered against those who surpassed us in knowledge and pride because we do not seem to accept that reality. In order to hide their weaknesses, Syria promotes "resistance" and Iran promotes religious zealotry, and both rely on nuclear weapons to defend their existence as their regime heaps misery upon their own people spiraling further into the abyss of ignorance.

Combine this inseparable Syrian-Iranian cocktail and is it a wonder that extremism is flourishing in the Middle East heartened by their perilous policy of staying in power at all costs? A policy that is causing directly the rise of Islamic extremist ideology of Jihad. Yet Assad is either manipulating or promoting Jihadi actions to advance the notion that instability stops at his door when in fact he is its cause. The US and Israel have a choice: either to return to stabilizing dictators thus fueling further Islamic extremism due to oppression or push forward with an agenda of freedom and human rights by taking advantage of the findings of the International Tribunal into the assassination of Rafik Hariri.

Sunni extreme Islamists born to the Muslim Brotherhood and Wahabbi ideologies of Bana and Abdul Wahab will, sooner or later, turn their attention to the legitimacy of Damascus as the historic Sunni capital to launch a counter-offensive against the Iranian Wilyaat al-Faqih so entrenched in Syrian politics. Under the present circumstances, Syria and Iran have successfully deflected the anger of the Palestinian Islamists, represented by Hamas, towards the State of Israel, but it is a question of time before Hamas peels away from both regimes only to converge its attention unto Damascus. And although the Op-Ed published by Prince Turki al-Faisal, the Saudi ex-intelligence chief, in the Financial Times on January 23 was meant to start that peeling process, Hamas is ahead of the game on that score.

When al-Zahar, a senior Hamas political operative, was asked in an interview on al-Jazeera whether he viewed his movement as a resistance group or as a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, he gave away Hamas’ position: “This is not the issue. Syria has very good relations with Hamas, but terrible relations with Muslim Brotherhood group. More than 24,000 people were killed in 1982 by the Syrian regime.” referring to the killing of members of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and the destruction of Hama by Hafez and Rifaat al-Assad.

And although Hamas is basking today in the glorious support of Assad and Ahmadinejad, it is already realizing that in order to succeed as an umbrella political organization over the Arab Sunnis, it needs to legitimize its existence through geography as well as ideology by coercing all Sunnis to turn to Damascus. With Damascus, their battle cry for Jerusalem has a wider appeal and will result in rallying the leaderless Sunnis to embrace not only the destruction of Israel but the adoption of the Muslim Brotherhood principles in the whole region.

Concrete, plausible plan
With this prediction in mind, it is ill-advised for the US and Israel to rely on the stability of Assad, represented by an Alawite minority bitterly at war with Sunni extremist Muslims throughout their history, to impede the extremists from advancing towards Damascus. Many of the Saudi Wahabbis believe that the Sunni capital Damascus is occupied by the Iranians and Syria may face the Iranian template of 1979 with a Khomeini-like Sunni extremist figure to return soon to dislodge Assad, by force if necessary.

The world community has an opportunity today to thwart this scenario by upstaging both Assad and the extremists. Either that or welcome Assad and wait for the fanatic Sunni Muslims to ravage the Levant region like locusts on a farm.

Moderate Syrian Muslims have a concrete and plausible plan for change that represents the beginning of real peace in the region. Freeing the majority moderate Syrian people can happen without boots on the ground or bloodshed when the best minds grasp the opportunity we see in Assad’s Achilles' Heels. With a new and fresh perspective, brought forth by the Obama administration, it is imperative we all think outside the box and discourage diplomats from dictating stability as a prêt-a-porter solution to the ills of the region. So many Arab dictators and yet so much extremism. How does one explain that phenomena?

Inevitably, it is up to us to stymie the ever-ascending terror of other Sunni Muslims gone astray and not the trigger-happy Assad, an Alawite so closely tied to the religious fabric of Iran. One important element of stemming the tide of extremism is to build the Umma Islamic University in Damascus to shine its ray of hope against the backdrop of fanatic Islamic universities existing today in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The solution to Islamic extremism and coexistence with all the precious minorities of the Middle East is within our power and grasp and cannot be the brainchild of Assad, who survives on chaos, fear, and hate.

Yes, we can build the Umma Islamic University in Damascus to teach tolerance and embrace harmony. Yes, we can build a Holocaust Museum across the street to expose what hate can do to humanity. Yes we can build a Memorial for all US troops who perished defending or freeing Muslim countries. But not if President Obama and Secretary Clinton find comfort in forging their legacies upon the fleeting moment of success and yielding to the difficult choices confronted by an Arab generation on the brink of doom and strangled by lack of opportunities.

Our Arab civilization can no longer bear the darkness reflected in oppressive rulers. And in the global village we all share, another Sept. 11 is just around the corner if the surplus of hope resting on the shoulders of President Obama cannot exact lasting peace between the peoples of the Middle East by giving them the opportunity to be free from oppression.

Listen to us, we are the cause of the problem and we are its only solution.

Somali Prime Minister wants dialogue with Islamists

February 18, 2009
London(Saylac.com-The new Somali Prime Minister, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, said he want to meet the Islamist insurgents and placed on the dialogue to end the violence that bloody the country for nearly 20 years.

Son of a former president assassinated, Sharmarke was chosen last week by the President of Somalia, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, to head a national unity government whose priority is to restore order in the country of the Horn of Africa.

Islamist insurgents, especially the main rebel group Al Shabaab have declared the 'jihad' against the new unity government set up following a peace process in Djibouti under the observation of the UN. The conflict (Somali Prime Minister Mr Sharmarke)has claimed over a million displaced in recent years. "We need to know to what claims Al Shabaab fights today on what they refer to dismiss the President and myself," said Sharmarke Sunday evening in an interview with the press.

"I do not think they are now real reasons to fight, and we call on them to consider the difficulties the country has known these past 18 years. And, of course, we want to sit around with them ' a table, "he added.

According to Washington, Al Shabaab is over Al Qaeda in Somalia and has foreign activists in its ranks. Controlling a large part of the territory, especially in the South and parts of Mogadishu, the movement has long fought the forces allied Ethiopian and Somali government, which pulled out last month.

On the other hand, Ethiopia is not welcoming this announcement from the Somali Prime minister. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told the press “It is not helpful the region to sit with what he called the Al-Qaeda wing of Somalia" referring Al-Shabbat fighters. Meles Zenawi tried to push diplomatic pressure to prevent Al-shabaab any Somali peace process, but this time that effort seemed to diminish at the region.

The president of Republic of Djibouti - Ismael Omer Guleid had an honor dinner with the Somali President Sheikh Sharif in which he congratulated any Somali Peace Process and development including talk with Al-shabab.


The Somali Prime Minister Announcement came after a lot of expectation from Somali communities and intellectual around the world with his government.

Saylac.com
London- Uk

Quebec man facing terrorism charges key member of jihad propaganda machine

February 19, 2009
MONTREAL — A Quebec man facing international terrorism charges rose quickly as a member of an online jihad propaganda organization, said a report introduced as evidence in his trial Thursday.

In a 121-page expert report filed as evidence, counterterrorism expert Rita Katz analyzed evidence gathered by the RCMP against Said Namouh. Katz writes there is little doubt that Namouh played a "significant and prominent role" in developing, producing and distributing propaganda material for the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF).

Katz, the Crown's final witness, is director of the site Intelligence Group, a Washington-based for-profit organization that tracks global terror networks, intercepts messages and provides advance warnings of attacks to private clients including government agencies.

Namouh, 36, is facing four terrorism-related charges including conspiracy, participating in a terrorist act, facilitating such an act and committing extortion for a terrorist group.

The Crown contends that Namouh is a member of the GIMF, an organization involved in propaganda and jihad recruitment and which is described as a media tool for al-Qaida.
The Crown alleges that Namouh put the final touches on some instructional and propaganda videos broadcast on the Internet. Prosecutors also claim he frequently chatted on jihadist websites under the Internet pseudonym "Ashraf" where he frequently discussed his dedication to jihad (holy war) and al-Qaida.

Namouh, a Moroccan native, was initially arrested for his alleged role in plotting terror attacks in Germany and Austria for their military role in Afghanistan.
His co-accused, an Austrian man named Mohammed Mahmoud, was described as a leader of the GIMF and was sentenced in March, 2008.

Afterwards, computer-crimes detectives found evidence of dozens of videos and other propaganda materials and thousands of pages of transcripts from chat and forum discussions.

Namouh, under the name Ashraf, posted an average of three posts-a-day - 1,075 messages - between Nov. 2006 and September 13, 2007 when he was arrested, authorities allege.

"He had the second largest number of total posts to the Khidemat forum, GIMF's online workshop," Katz wrote in her report, citing the number as a sign of Namouh's strong commitment to GIMF.

"His speed, dedication and devotion to GIMF's activities and the jihadist cause earned the respect of the leaders and members of GIMF, who showered him with praise for his seemingly endless endeavours."

The only one with more messages was Mahmoud, under the name Gharib Al-Diyar.
A number of videos found were found on Namouh's computer, including an elaborate how-to video describing how to pull of a suicide bomb attack.

"Ashraf not only believed in distributing jihadist propaganda, but also in using violence to propagate his radical ideology," Katz wrote.

Namouh is also believed to be behind the distribution and re-distribution of numerous videos and is also believed to be instrumental by publishing videos on popular western video-sharing sites to allow for a wider audience.

Among the videos the Crown alleges were published by Namouh include the kidnapping video of BBC journalist Alan Johnston in Gaza by a group known as the Army of Islam, a group that is affiliated with GIMF.

"Many members of GIMF posted special "thank you" notes for him, showering praises on him that no other GIMF member received," Katz wrote.

While the GIMF does not appear on Canada's list of recognized terrorist organizations, Katz testified in court that its links to al-Qaida and other groups are clear and that GIMF remains "one of the most prominent online jihadist media organizations."

Namouh, a permanent Canadian resident, has been detained since his arrest in September 2007 in Maskinonge, a small town northeast of Montreal.

Defence lawyer Rene Duval said he hasn't decided whether he will put his client on the stand and admits his client's defence is being presented on a "shoe-string budget."

Duval said he will present a defence that will focus on Namouh's charter rights to freedom of speech.

The trial is expected to wrap up sometime next week.

'Barghouti release may divide Fatah'

Feb 19, 2009 0:41 | Updated Feb 19, 2009 16:55
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

The Palestinian Authority has warned jailed Fatah operative Marwan Barghouti not to criticize President Mahmoud Abbas or the veteran leadership of Fatah when he is released from prison, a Fatah official said on Wednesday.

The official told The Jerusalem Post that the warning was relayed to Barghouti, who is serving five life terms in prison for five murders, by Hussein a-Sheikh, a senior Fatah official who is close to Abbas.

Meanwhile, a leaflet distributed in Ramallah by Fatah called for removing PA Prime Minister Salaam Fayad and PLO official Yasser Abed Rabbo from power. The leaflet accused the two of seeking to gain control of Fatah.

Earlier this week, Sheikh met with Barghouti in prison for nearly three hours. He reportedly warned Barghouti not to make any critical remarks about the PA leadership when he is released.

The meeting took place against a backdrop of reports suggesting that Israel was about to release Barghouti as a "gesture" to Abbas. According to the reports, Israel prefers to free Barghouti this way, and not as part of a prisoner exchange with Hamas, to prevent the Islamist movement from taking credit for his release.

The hope in Israel is that letting Barghouti go will boost Abbas and the "moderate" leaders of the PA in the West Bank.

But Abbas and some of his top aides are obviously nervous about the possibility that Barghouti may soon return to Ramallah.

Their main fear is that Barghouti, a long-time critic of financial corruption in the PA and the old-guard leadership of Fatah, will exploit the media attention to voice his views about Abbas and his aides.

In the message that was relayed to Barghouti, the PA leadership stressed that his release would be the result of Abbas's efforts and pressure on Israel, and not because his name appears on the list of prisoners that Hamas is demanding in return for St.-Sgt. Gilad Schalit.

The message also reminded Barghouti of the damage he caused Fatah when he decided to challenge Abbas in the presidential election that was held in January 2005.

Then, Barghouti was forced to drop his candidacy after coming under heavy pressure from Abbas and old-guard Fatah leaders, who continue to maintain that he was partially responsible for the divisions in Fatah that brought Hamas to power a year later.

Abbas is also concerned that Barghouti will use his close personal ties with some Hamas leaders to undermine the veteran Fatah leadership. According to the Fatah official, even as he sits in prison Barghouti is exchanging messages with Khaled Mashaal, the Damascus-based leader of Hamas, and Osama Hamdan, the movement's representative in Lebanon.

Barghouti's release would also likely agitate the power struggle between the young guard and the old guard in Fatah. As a representative of the young guard, Barghouti has long been demanding major reforms in Fatah, which has failed to hold internal elections for two decades.

In recent weeks, Barghouti has also voiced criticism of Abbas's failure to convene the sixth conference of Fatah - a move that could result in internal elections and certainly see the rise of Barghouti and his friends to power.

The Fatah "Revolutionary Council," a key decision-making body of the movement, met in Ramallah earlier this week in yet another attempt to reach an agreement on convening the long-delayed conference.

At the meeting, several young guard representatives threatened to resign unless their demand to convene the parley as soon as possible was met.

Muhammad Hourani, member of the council and the PLO ambassador to Algeria, said the council decided that the conference would be held "no later than April 15 this year." But his announcement was received with skepticism by several Fatah members who pointed out that this was not the first time a date had been set for convening the conference.

At the meeting, the Fatah leaders decided to establish a Fatah-run satellite TV station in a bid to improve the movement's image in the eyes of the Palestinian public and to counter Hamas's TV broadcasts.

In a separate development, a PA official confirmed that Qatar had invited Abbas to visit Doha. Relations between the PA and Qatar have been strained following accusations that the emirate was supporting Hamas.

Last month, Abbas refused to attend an Arab summit in Doha to discuss Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. The Qataris said then that Abbas told them he was afraid that he would be punished - apparently by the US and Israel - if he came to the gathering.

In response, Qatar invited leaders of Hamas and other radical factions such as Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command.

The PA is also upset with Qatar because its popular TV network, Al-Jazeera, has over the past few years openly sided with Hamas in its power struggle with Fatah.