Saudi Arabia s Efforts and Experience in Counter-Terrorism

Saudi Arabia s Efforts and Experience in Counter-Terrorism Prepared by: Dr. Hachem Mohammed AL Zahrani 1433H- 2012G. 1

Preface: Security is one of the essential natural needs for human beings to survive. Individuals and community cannot manage their affairs and progress without peace and security. Therefore, security is the basis for any country or entity. It can bring stability and prosperity and it is an indicator of progress and civilization that entire nations, individuals and communities trying to maintain. Lack of security could lead to a state of uncertainty, fear and distress. Therefore, people could lose their jobs, interests and properties and the main concern and obsession, for them, would be how to maintain their lives and well-being of their families. That is why, people appreciate security and consider it essential element of their life and should maintained and preserved according to regulations and laws and call upon individuals to refrain from abusing security. Considering that security is desperate human need, thus, it should be maintained and every disruption, abuse to security, and use of violence to get rights by force or to have waiver, should be encountered by authorities to restore security. Use of violence and force is illegitimate and against religion, morals and human and civilized values, as they abuse and turn intellectual, spiritual and material potentials of people, into negative and destructive force. Terrorism has become recently key issue and an international phenomenon that stricken several countries and many communities with various ethnic minorities and religious groups have suffered from terrorism. It disrupted progress and development, and consequently exhausted resources. Islamic history throughout various stages has witnessed disturbances and plots from those who attribute themselves to Islam and whom they abide by Islam regulations and teachings, as Islam calls upon moderation and none interference with others. Therefore, intellectual approach for true Islamic teachings, in terms of belief and thought, none interference, jurisprudence, decency and behavior, did not remain marginal issue, but have become urgent requirement nowadays because there has been further delinquency, corruption, temptations and misconceptions at this time. Therefore, Muslim should be illuminated and guided for all issues and should be provided with appropriate solutions based on true and right path of Sunnah (Islamic teachings). Therefore, there is an urgent need to disclose the roots and reasons that give rise to terrorism and violence that stricken the Muslim Nation and this is real requirement as this radical intellect might have intellectual, psychological, political and social reasons or could be economic and educational ones. 2

Hence, we may say that reasons are intermingled and we should not concentrate on either reason, as the phenomenon is quite complicated and we have to identify the intellectual reasons as under: 1. Misunderstanding of Islamic teachings 2. Misunderstanding of Islamic purposes 3. Immoderation in Thought Hence, we understand that the embracement of radical thought by some groups has appeared in contemporary communities, where their thought has been turned into terrorist operations that inflect killings, injuries and abductions, in daily basis. These operations are a demonstration of deviation in thought and radical approach that unlike the way and thinking of people living in the same environment. Terrorist adopts radical thought and approach quite un common to most of people and he is quite content to scarify himself for his thoughts. We may realize that the terrorist radical groups could commit suicide by blowing themselves and they think their acts are good deeds. Therefore, there should be an approach that observe and protect the straight thought for the security of people and to provide guidance for individuals to keep away from sliding into crimes. His Royal Highness, Minister of Interior, Nayef Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has assured that" We concentrate on the Islamic Law (Sharea) as a medium of direction and guidance for our community to observe and follow true teachings of Islam. The minister continues to say, on the meantime, we do not allow others to intervene in our affairs and there should be unified effort by all concerned parties to curb terrorism. We concentrate on the security of thought and to intellectually protect our community and to invest Mass Media for awareness and guidance". Therefore, Counter-terrorism is essential, especially on intellectual respect to support security effort, which is the basic factor in combating terrorists operations, as well as, cleansing countries and communities from terrorist cells and organizations. There were great efforts exerted by concerned authorities, to curb radical thought and violence, applying comprehensive approach: 1. To identify causes of terrorism 2. To combat radical groups militarily, intellectually, economically, socially and by security 3. To guide people according to the right teachings of Islam that derived from Holy Quran and Sunnah (Islamic Law). 3

4. To guide people on the purposes of Islamic Law (Sharea), which maintains people's belief, self, mind, children and money. 5. To identify causes that encourage terrorist behavior, in terms of religious misunderstanding, where it has been noticed that many radical individual's education was less intermediate level, as well as, to study their personalities features in order to identify what overwhelm their thought. In addition, to have dialogue with them, having access to their on line forums, what scholars that follow, and what the major issues they debating. 6. To unify people for observing and maintaining their identity and belonging to their homeland, to the religion and values. 7. Awareness through lectures, forums, symposiums and TV Debates and publications in newspapers and magazines participated by true and straight Salfis. Saudi Arabia s Security Efforts in encountering Extremism and Terrorism Saudi Arabia, few years ago, has been underwent and suffered from terrorism. Bombing of National Guard Complex in Olaya, in 1996, was the beginning of the terrorist operations that based on infidelity thought that originated outside Saudi Arabia, namely ALQaeda Thoughts and adopted by terrorist groups. The radical thought infidels rulers, as well as employees and security personnel, even labeling communities as infidels, based on the immoderation of AL Qaieda interpretation of some religious contents in disagreement and violation of the tolerant Islamic teachings, thus Saudi Arabia was strongly hit and affected by the terrorist operations masterminded by ALQaeda. Nonetheless, September 11, 2001 that hit World Trade Center and the Pentagon, masterminded by ALQaeda inflected the following: 1. Terrorism has been geared up and consequently has become an international phenomenon targeting international world order 2. UN Security Council has adopted several resolutions to curb terrorism phenomenon 3. Abuse to Islam, as terrorist groups manipulate Islamic teachings and use it as cover for their acts 4. Exploitation of terrorism pheromone by some countries to suppress occupied peoples 5. Mass Media has manipulated terrorism phenomenon and associate it to Islam, and disregarding terrorist organizations worldwide. 4

Saudi Arabia s Efforts and Experience in Encountering Terrorism Saudi Arabia has been also affected by terrorist operations, which were stuck the country on the period between, 1423-1427H. Terrorists use Islam as a cover and medium to strike against Muslims. Therefore, terrorism is international phenomenon, has no religion, no homeland and no specific nationality. Security apparatuses in Saudi Arabia have succeeded in striking terrorists and mostly preemptive strikes, have averted many terrorist operations, and uprooted infidelity symbols in the community. Saudi community unanimously has strongly condemned the terrorist operations. Despite the terrorist operations have inflected many casualties, dead and injured people from security personnel, citizens and residents, nonetheless, Saudi Arabia could made great progress in uprooting terrorism. Saudi Arabia has approached terrorism based on the following factors: 1. Saudi Arabia realizes the risks of terrorism on all levels 2. The terrorists are followers of delinquent and infidel thought 3. Terrorism has no thing to do with Islam Therefore, Saudi Arabia s policy of combating terrorism could be summarized as under: 1. Steadfast stance based on the right path of Islam and Sunnah 2. Combating all types and forms of terrorism 3. Combating terrorism locally and denouncing it internationally 4. To urge international community to curb terrorism, through organizing and hosting international conference on terrorism on 2005, where is has been recommended to set up an International Center for Counter Terrorism 5. To take part in Arab Treaties for counter terrorism 6. To verify the international unified security strategy for counter extremism and terrorism at the GCC meeting and to set up GCC Counter Terrorism Council. 7. Saudi Arabia s commitment and support to UN Counter Terrorism Resolutions, despite there is no specific unified definition for terrorism 8. Saudi Arabia s denouncement of terrorism before UN General Assembly meeting 9. Signing several bilateral treaties with some countries for security cooperation. 10. Ministry of Interior in Saudi Arabia, has encouraged cooperation and coordination among all Arab and friendly countries to counterterrorism, exchange of information, experiences, technical assistance 5

to curb terrorists activities, and to identify the terrorist and their hideouts, training, funding, weaponries, ammunition and explosives they use, telecommunications, transportation and travel documents 11. Ministry of Interior in Saudi Arabia has coordinate with its Arab and friendly counterparts for exchanging information on any possible terrorist plans that could target other countries or the citizens, in order to avert such plans and to arrest the suspects and terrorists in charge of striking the interests of these countries. 12. Saudi Arabia has organized national solidarity campaign against terrorism, where this campaign has succeeded in creating sympathetic atmosphere to the people, against terrorist acts. 13. Ministry of Interior and concerned authorities, in Saudi Arabia, has set committee headed by national experts to amend education curriculums at all levels of education in order to stress on the moderate and tolerant principles of true Islam, on which the country has been founded on. 14. Providing material and appreciation rewards security personnel in charge of counterterrorism, as well as, providing material, appreciation and financial care to the martyr s families, the injured security personnel. 15. Providing financial and medical assistance to the victims, Saudis or residents to ease their suffering. Ministry of Interior s Awareness and Guidance Efforts to Counterterrorism The security efforts made to protect and maintain development and stability in the country were not just demonstration of slogans, but these efforts interact with the Saudi reality, exercising and adopting teachings of true Islam and Sunna, and based on their own experience of providing security to the country. Ministry of Interior in Saudi Arabia with entire security apparatuses has played crucial role in maintaining security and counterterrorism, applying Saudi policy to uproot terrorism or halt its spread in side the community, affecting youth thoughts or motivation of youth to take part in terrorist operations. The Ministry of Interior applies comprehensive awareness and guidance to the youth and to the community in general. The Ministry emphasizes that the citizen is the first security personnel, as well as, it highlights the duty and role done by security personnel in order to protect citizens and maintain security. On the meantime, the Ministry emphasizes on the sacrifices of the security personnel in combating terrorism, curbing immoderation thought, promoting confidence in security personnel and maintaining principles and values of the community. The Ministry of Interior has approached the implications, consequences of terrorism and the circumstances of arrested individuals through Rehabilitation Program, taking care of their dependants and families, as well as, trying to restore back the Saudi arrested outside Saudi Arabia. 6

The Ministry of Interior s Efforts including the following: Firstly: Fighting Terrorist Activities: 1. Saudi Security Forces has tracked terrorist cells, averted their operations, ban illegitimate organizations, draining their financial resources. 2. Adopting and observing security measures to halt any terrorist or illegitimate act carried over Saudi territories, as well as, disallowing terrorists from sneaking into Saudi Arabia, or giving them access, residence or shelter to the individuals an groups, proving them with arms, training ammunitions or any sort of facilities. 3. Ministry of Interior has controlled terrorism funding transactions, by setting up financial investigation units to curb funding terrorism and coordinate with other concerned authorities to track accounts, ensure that no body can exploit the banking system in supporting terrorism 4. Upgrading systems that track and detect import, transportation, warehousing weaponries and ammunitions and other assault items. Customs procures and measures have been promoted to track and detect these items, as well as there the Ministry has secured land, sea and airport gateways to abort transportation of such items. 5. Upgrading and promoting the security of residential, economic and strategic facilities and transport means, providing protection to diplomatic corps and figures, consulates and regional organizations in Saudi Arabia. 6. Set up database to collect information and provide analysis the information related to terrorist individuals and groups and follow up terrorism phenomenon and related updates. 7. To invest scientific research for the discussion, debate and investigation purposes to identify the real caused that made these individuals and groups commit terrorism. Also, to set up confrontation plan including approach and treatment procedures. 8. Secondly: Containment Consequences of Terrorist Act 1. Arrest perpetrators and bring them to the courts, observing immediate investigation according to the legitimate judiciary and to arrest them through coordination between the Interior Ministry and other concerned authorities in Saudi Arabia. 2. Se up effective cooperation between security apparatuses and citizens to counterterrorism, affirming that the citizen is the first security personnel, providing incentives and financial reward to those who cooperate to arrest suspects and for providing notification on terrorist actives. 7

3. Ministry of Interior with coordination with concerned authorities in the country to enact criminal legislation for whose who commit acts against the county s security, based on Islamic Law ( Sharea), identifying the nature and type of each crime and the relevant punishment 4. Ministry of Interior has made very progressive step by giving a grace period for perpetrators in response to some of them who hand over themselves to the security authorities. 5. Intensity security campaigns in all areas and provinces of Saudi Arabia and have detected many irregularities and cracked down on terrorists. 6. Upgrade training level, procure and qualifying personnel of Interior Ministry s departments in accordance with modern technical developments in order to provide earlier crackdown on terrorists. Thirdly: Participation in Security Media Message. Ministry of Interior has participated in the Media message against terrorism as follows: 1. To promote security duty for citizens and residents in Saudi Arabia and to mobilize community against terrorism and delinquent thought, and identify the negative consequences of cooperation, or belonging to terrorist groups 2. Ministry of Interior urges Saudi families and parents to keep watch on their sons to avoid the impact of terrorists on their thoughts. Citizens quite aware of such issue. The Ministry of Interior has appreciated and laudeded, positively response of parents of the wanted individuals and they have denounced their doing and consequently support and back the country in its crackdown on terrorists. 3. To urge community and residents to coordinate and cooperate with security personnel in identifying the terrorists and their hideouts. The ministry stresses on the importance of coordination and cooperation between citizens and security personnel and have to implement Security is the responsibly of all. 4. To promote and encourage the relations between security personnel, citizens and residents and to create mutual confidence among them and to back and support security forces in implementing security and peace in the country. 5. To identify the efforts of security personnel in foiling many terrorist operations, detecting arms, ammunition and arresting many wanted terrorists as well as, motivators for infidelity thought and terrorist activities 6. Conducting Media interviews with terrorists and motivators who overturned their radical views and there has been call for wanted people to hand over themselves and show their repentance. 8

7. To initiate media policy based on transparency and frankness so that the Ministry could show its efforts in counterterrorism and have to provide documented data and information accompanied by footage to mass media at the time of terrorist incident 8. To identify the wanted individuals and groups and provide mass media with their identities. The Ministry is resolved to peruse and tack terrorists and terminate all terrorist cells, and it wouldn't tolerate all who protect, fund or provide them shelter Fourthly: Intellectual Confrontation: 1. To set up new administration for intellectual security at the Ministry of Interior, targeting and approaching intellectual delinquency that lead to infidelity, extremism and terrorism, by conducting serious studies and researches 2. Encouraging private institutions to publish books, booklets and tapes that refute delinquent thoughts and to distribute them to the community and to the arrested individuals. 3. Ministry of Interior in Saudi Arabia, through Rehabilitation Committee, curb thought by thought and identify suspicions, intellectual confusions and infidelity thought that lead to terrorism. The Ministry supported by straight religious scholars specialized in social and psychological sciences, as well as, educated people, men of mass media where the Ministry allows them to meet with arrested individuals to have free discussion and to reply their questions in comfortable atmosphere. Many arrested terrorist individuals have benefited from such debate and rehabilitation and consequently the process has lead to release many of them after showing their remorse and repentance 4. Call upon private and official institutions and their mass media in the country to present the security message and duty to maintain the national security and interests with participation of citizens and residents in Saudi Arabia and urge them to take part in maintaining security. 5. To urge all governmental concerned parties, civil society institutions, and private sector, to take care and observe youth and approaching their issues and preserve them from infidelity thought, extremism, immoderation and violence. 6. Coordination with concerned authorities to ban publication of any book, tapes and any mass media that motivate delinquent thought. Fifthly: Preemptive Operations: 1. Despite our great ambitions in uprooting terrorism and arrest all who stand behind it, either by funding, motivation, execution and sympathy, nonetheless, it entails full draining of its resources. On the meantime, Saudi Security Forces, in deed, have made great achievements in averting several 9

terrorist operations by preemptive strikes and these preemptive strikes have exceeded 200 operation. We couldn't imagine if the terrorist operation succeeded in striking targets and how much destruction would inflect! The Saudi forces could have averted these operations in due time. The Ministry of Interior is always looking forward to upgrade and develop security performance at all levels, particularly on the field of preemptive operations. Sixthly: sharing community intuitions in awareness against terrorism The Ministry of Interior, through its committees and joint workshops, coordinate with educational and propagation institutions to enlighten people and provide guidance, reform, and alerting people against risks of terrorism and infidels, through various types of mass media, publications and flyers and advertisements. Commission of Higher Scholars, preachers, speakers, and Imams as well as, awareness in schools for the risks of terrorism and its impact on community. Seventhly: Participation of religious scholars, psychologist, and security experts in Rehabilitation Committees: Ministry of Interior has embarked in setting up private committees composed of specialists in legitimate religious sciences, psychologists, sociologists, and experts in field of rehabilitation, recommendation, and dialogue with those who embrace infidel thought. There are three sub committees set for this purpose as under: First panel: Scientific Coordination panel whose task is to set up plans, programs, meetings, lectures to provide counsel and rehabilitant to arrested individuals, as well as, would evaluate rehabilitation programs to make sure that achieved its goal. Second panel: This panel is in charge of studying mechanism of releasing the arrested individuals who have served their jail term after verifying that they have benefited from rehabilitation program as well as, how to continue their rehabilitation after release Third panel: This panel is in charge of studying prisoner s affairs and their families in terms of financial and social areas, and to provide help to solve their problems. The panel applies rehabilitation policy as under: 1. The mentors who provide rehabilitation are briefed on prisoner's personal status, their thoughts related infidelity. 2. The mentor, at the end of each session, will prepare report on the arrested individual, indicating whether that person has been improved and what recommendations he would provide and if the arrested individual need further follow up following his release. 3. The psychological status of arrested individuals repeatedly checked and evaluated. 10

4. Arrested extremists in prisons provided with various types of books, booklets, Fatwa, and scientific bulletins that refute extremist thought, following to thorough and close review of these books. 5. Focus of Media channels on the arrested individuals who maintain and embrace extremism in order to refute their thought 6. Arrested individuals are classified according to their fanaticism level to help change the ideas of those with less fanaticism. Eighth: Family sharing of rehabilitation to their sons and follow up after getting amnesty or finish jail term. Most arrested extremists are young and they are easy to fall victims of extremist thoughts. The Interior Ministry has focused on family sharing for follow up, and to rehabilitate their sons, following their jail term. The Ministry enabled the family to visit them in any province or city in Saudi Arabia and facilitated transfer those arrested individuals closer to their family location, on the meantime, the Ministry provides financial and social assistance and job opportunity to those who overturned and changed their fanatic thoughts. The Ministry realizes the importance of comprehensive approach to the arrested individuals, providing them with legitimate and human rights; moreover, the Ministry maintains that family is the first defense line and essential for right upbringing. Ninth: Promoting security personnel s confidence in counterterrorism and that their doing the right job which is based on Holy Quran and Sunnah. The Ministry of Interior realized that delinquent groups has embraced serous and delinquent thought in disregard to Islamic teachings and basics and against the security of community, the Ministry is suspicious that terrorist could have impact on security personnel. Therefore, the Ministry of Interior has exerted great efforts in strengthening spiritual awareness to its security personnel, rehabilitating them and upgrading procedures of tracking and crackdown on terrorists and brining them to justice. The Ministry is very keen that this process is based on basic and right Islamic teachings of maintaining safety and security to the community, as well as, it is obedience to the ruler, as mentioned in the following verses of the Holy Quarn: O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the messenger and those of you who are in authority. Help ye one another unto righteousness and pious duty. Help not one another unto sin and transgression. Prophet Mohammed, Peace and Prayer Be upon Him, have said: If anybody instruct you to inflect separation among you, strike his neck, narrated by Muslim. 11

In addition, Prophet has said: Do what you instructed to do, even by black person. Lectures an symposiums have focused on the right teachings of Islam and Holy Quaran in order to enlighten their thought and enhance their skills in fighting terrorism. Tenth: Transparency and Credibility: The Ministry of Interior is approaching terrorist incidents by providing the consequences of fighting and confrontation with terrorists in order to document and identify the serous goals of terrorists, to the public and how they target innocent people. The Ministry brief mass media on ongoing events and their aftermath and on the averted terrorist operations on time and place, through the Ministry s official spokesman. Eleventh: Giving opportunity to terrorists to hand over themselves to the authorities, especially to those how show remorse, repentance, and this is taken into consideration during court hearing. Saudi Arabia is has urged and still call upon those involved in terrorist activities, or those who plan, help, give shelter or fund terrorists, could be pardoned, except those subjected to private obligations, and it could be reviewed in the light of current legislations, if possible, to ease punishment or grant them amnesty. The Ministry convey this message though all mass media channels, as well as, the Ministry appreciates the efforts done by terrorist s relatives, and residents who provide information or evidences that lead to avert any terrorist activity. Eleventh: Bounty given to cooperators, witnesses and to those affected by terrorist activities: The Ministry of Interior appreciates and lauds efforts made by cooperators in curbing terrorism, where the government has assigned financial rewards to those who tips any terrorist activity. On the meantime, compensation is legitimate to those who suffered by terrorist activities. Twelfth: Coordination among all security apparatuses for swift exchange of information Information collected regarding terrorist incidents has contributed to an earlier avert and preemptive strikes to the terrorists and swift arrest of the perpetrators. The leads to terrorists have contributed to lesser casualties in lives and properties. The Ministry of Interior is keen to go ahead of such coordination and exchange of information among security apparatuses in the country as pert of the national strategy to curb terrorism as well as, providing up to date technology and training for security personnel. 12

Thirteenth: Regional, Arab and International Cooperation in counterterrorism This type of cooperation divided into two dimensions: First: Saudi Arabia s effective contribution in drafting Arab, Islamic and GCC treaties in the field of counterterrorism and other forms of treaties and bilateral cooperation treaties on security issues. Second: The second dimension not much different from the first one, but it focuses on accuracy and speed of passing information, as the Kingdom maintains that the World could not succeed in counterterrorism, unless there will be unlimited cooperation and coordination in this regard. King Abdullah, in the last conference on counterterrorism, held in Riyadh, has affirmed to set up international center for counterterrorism and for exchange of information on terrorists, activities, plans and on funding resources. 13

Index Page No. Subject Saudi Arabia s Security Efforts in encountering Extremism and Terrorism Saudi Arabia s Efforts and Experience in Encountering Terrorism Ministry of Interior s Awareness and Guidance Efforts to Counterterrorism Firstly: Fighting Terrorist Activities: Secondly: Containment Consequences of Terrorist Act Thirdly: Participation in Security Media Message. Fourthly: Intellectual Confrontation: Fifthly: Preemptive Operations: Sixthly: sharing community intuitions in awareness against terrorism Seventhly: Participation of religious scholars, psychologist, and security experts in Rehabilitation Committees Eighth: Family sharing of rehabilitation to their sons and follow up after getting amnesty or finish jail term. Ninth: Promoting security personnel s confidence in counterterrorism and that their doing the right job which is based on Holy Quran and Sunnah. Tenth: Transparency and Credibility: Eleventh: Bounty given to cooperators, witnesses and to those affected by terrorist activities: Twelfth: Coordination among all security apparatuses for swift exchange of information Thirteenth: Regional, Arab and International Cooperation in counterterrorism 14