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Militants hold 50 foreigners in Saudi-manager
Reuters ^ | 29 May 2004 17:34:21 GMT

Posted on 05/29/2004 11:43:12 AM PDT by EternalHope

Militants hold 50 foreigners in Saudi-manager

29 May 2004 17:34:21 GMT

KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia, May 29 (Reuters) - Suspected al Qaeda militants have taken hostage 50 foreigners, including Italians and Americans, on Saturday, a manager of the housing compound where they are behing held said.

"They are holding 50 foreign hostages," the manager of the Oasis compound told Reuters. "There are Americans, but there are more Italians. There are also Arabs."

Security sources said the Arabs being held were Christians. The militants killed at least 16 people, including seven foreigners, in a string of attacks in the oil city of Khobar.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: alqaeda; alqaida; hostages; khobar; saudiarabia; wot
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A lot of confused news coming out of Saudi Arabia right now. Reports of the number of dead range from 6 to at least 16. The hostage situation seems totally confused as well.

Other reports (Fox News) say the U.S. embassy has urged all Americans to leave the country, but I have seen no further details. Not clear how this differs from earlier warnings to Americans in Saudi Arabia.

1 posted on 05/29/2004 11:43:12 AM PDT by EternalHope
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Comment #2 Removed by Moderator

To: EternalHope
From "News.com.au":

GUNMEN believed to be linked to al-Qaida killed at least nine Saudis and seven foreigners in the Saudi oil city of Khobar yesterday before holing up with about 50 hostages in a housing compound.

Saudi forces stormed the five-star Oasis compound but early today the battle was continuing, militants were still holding hostages and a senior Saudi officer was wounded, security forces said.

>snip<

A statement purportedly from Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network was posted on Islamist websites, claiming responsibility for the attacks.

>snip<

Witnesses said a body was dragged through the streets..

3 posted on 05/29/2004 11:51:15 AM PDT by EternalHope (Boycott everything French forever. Including their vassal nations.)
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To: EternalHope

First global warming. Now this. I'm not sure how he does it, but it's that damn Bush's fault!


4 posted on 05/29/2004 11:55:13 AM PDT by hauerf
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To: EternalHope
Security sources said the Arabs being held were Christians.

Islam-The Religion of Peace™

5 posted on 05/29/2004 11:59:49 AM PDT by Mike Darancette (NEOCON NOW)
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To: hauerf
You'll see a vastly different result with these hostages than the 444 days we had to endure under President Carter regarding the 63 American hostages in Iran.
6 posted on 05/29/2004 12:01:52 PM PDT by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: EternalHope

The Spice must flow... You'll have the oil provinces occupied by western military forces if Saudi Arabia doesn't handle this forcefully.


7 posted on 05/29/2004 12:12:46 PM PDT by Tallguy (Surviving in PA....thats the "other PA"...Pennsylvania.)
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To: Tallguy

It does make me wonder why there have been no attacks on the regime but all sorts of attacks both the citizenry and westerners. Just how eager is Al Qaeda & Co. to depose the royal family? We can't trust either side, that's for certain.


8 posted on 05/29/2004 12:32:36 PM PDT by dr_who_2
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To: EternalHope

One has to now wonder whether Al Queda now regards the ruling elite of Saudi Arabia as (closer in, easier to strike, much less security) enemies who would traitoriously take steps to ease the US fuel cost crunch that allegedly had the US economy "on the ropes". In other words, perhaps A-Q now thinks its main or more useful enemy is the rulers of Saudi Arabia and also thinks disrupting S-As' attempts to mollify the US fuel crunch provides increased righteousness to their cause.

Hard to try to get inside their brains when it means climbing into a steaming pile of camel dung.


9 posted on 05/29/2004 1:03:41 PM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (You get more with a gun and a smile than just a smile itself!)
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To: Southack

FOX just said the rags were asking hostages if they were Christian or Muslim?

I thought this was not a religious war?


10 posted on 05/29/2004 1:05:20 PM PDT by wardaddy (This is it. We either win and prevail or we lose and get tossed into that dustbin W mentioned!)
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To: dr_who_2
It does make me wonder why there have been no attacks on the regime but all sorts of attacks both the citizenry and westerners. Just how eager is Al Qaeda & Co. to depose the royal family? We can't trust either side, that's for certain.

Actually this is a perfect technique for Al Qaeda: By not attacking the Royals directly they insure that their funding continues; by confining the attacks to foreigners within the Kingdom they will ultimately cause the House of Saud's downfall -- by Westerners!

It's a perfect leveraging of their rather limited power.

11 posted on 05/29/2004 1:21:51 PM PDT by Tallguy (Surviving in PA....thats the "other PA"...Pennsylvania.)
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To: QuokkaPerth
of course this is bad but the price will only be up a short period before coming back down how ever the long term oil will remain up, the dollar is losing value on world markets, the oil increase is due to dollar losing value in markets and is why saudis raised the price of oil to make up the losses from the dollar, oil going up is result of that. add in to this the attacks you have a supply and a oil price problem none of which has occurred in past but seperatenow you have the two coming together and has same setup with past scenarios acclimating in to one which will likely send oil over $92 a barrel as did in 1980 and gold hold at or above $1600, gold should go above $480 in august and above $530 for 2005 if not sooner, should threats be carried out here in U.S on refineries & distribution points then you will see oil much higher than $120 a barrel and stabilizing at $140, gold will like be much higher than $1600oz mining stock on the OTC that has been around since 1980 will see its highs and then some. multinational troops can do nothing they never have and is no history of it doing anything, what you have in saudi arabia is the ruling tribe losing control, several coupes have been attempted against royals, saudi security forces have been infiltrated and shows serious risk of escalating further in to decay, take notice of the security measurements and how they got around it, shows there is a breach at highest levels of saudi government the royal family must beaware of it and they haven't stop this one means it will happen again and again, the intelligence is much better than those at compounds means it will take place again and again. if the U.S is to understand and beat terror networks in saudi arabia it needs to understand the islamic battle tactics of its history or terror networks will beat them there, europe and U.S. their main target is the U.S dollar given time they will dump it as those against U.S, OPEC has already started pricing oil in a basket of currencies mainly euros time comes they will make a total switch killing the dollar even more so pull out of investments here in U.S, mining stocks in market will go higher as most people exiting markets to stop losing cash will go to mining stocks as a quick entry as they cant go out to buy actual gold coins, COTS in market shorting gold for years are beginning to go long on gold and once this happens and you can besure they're intelligence is good that gold will go vertical.

what you are seeing in arabia is a change that will eventually take place and Id bet that bin laden isn't far from there as being looked at as the enlightened one, U.S wouldnt touch him there in the tribes of the desert. matters there are going to get worse,weapons of mass destruction have been circulating around the middle east the impact of one showing its face in one of the terror acts will be the tip of the ice berg, seeing terror acts in middle east one should prepare financially
12 posted on 05/29/2004 1:29:09 PM PDT by sgoldminerf
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: EternalHope

From the Spanish press:

The foreign victims [those who were killed, not the hostages] include an American, a Briton, two Filipinos, an Indian, a Swede, a Pakistani and a 10 year old Egyptian...


14 posted on 05/29/2004 1:50:09 PM PDT by livius
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To: Mike Darancette

Islam is, as Islam does. They knew who the Arab Christians were because they do not, like the Muslims, raise their buttocks toward Heaven.


15 posted on 05/29/2004 1:51:04 PM PDT by sheik yerbouty
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To: QuokkaPerth

we will see, Ive been intelligence analsyt for number of years, recommend the oil factor (book), Richard Russell, jim sinclair, Gata, Mr Tempelton, stratfor intelligence, Debka Intelligence,Janes intelligence, veneserol , reserve reports of several of the central banks. you have to look at derriative exposures, hedge fund risks, tax liabilities of them the gold shortages from that which is leased and sold forward in markets, look at forexs on the dollar index for last 30 years. japanese have been buyers of gold and not even released the reserve report that was due may 12th, wires sent by a bank in switzerland to its cleints mention of changes in gold, look at the swaps and trades in options.

I respect what you have to say all Im saying its what I see, research some of the names youll see this isnt just me being over the top. would recommend essays by Bill Murphy of gata, James Turk as well, & look at those at Fincialsense, bill murphys site has a number of links at its site on yahoo.might even look at 321gold.com for good information.

would ad since past history from 60s to present date you now have people with computers thats average of 100 million investors on line here in U.S, basicly one party controlling all three branches of goverment, this has never happen in past you ad this to the present then the market can get explosive in metals , commodities and oil.
chinese have 70% of silver wrapped up for 2005 & largest of buyers in raw materials, own most of the Tbills from fannie mae & freddie mac both in the red, not to mention japanese have pumped money in to economy ( U.S)VIA yen new york federal reserve once the TBills start selling from china and Japan both fannie mae and freddie mac deriatives will be expose and they are in to the trillions, U.S government will not back them as mention by snow.

several fronts are arised in the market and it will not take much to push any over.

with respect


16 posted on 05/29/2004 1:58:57 PM PDT by sgoldminerf
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To: Tallguy
"...attacks to foreigners within the Kingdom they will ultimately cause the House of Saud's downfall -- by Westerners!"

I question this. The "Westerners" (a.k.a. the rest of the world) may be a contributing factor to this but the finial push, as it were, will come from w/i. The Saudi's hold will become ever weaker and unsteady, a native politican (civilian or cleric) will stir up the people demanding "Do we want leaders who (fill in the blank)...Then it's time we rise up and (fill in the blank)..."
And farewell,House of Saud.

17 posted on 05/29/2004 2:13:56 PM PDT by yankeedame ("Born with the gift of laughter & a sense that the world was mad.")
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To: QuokkaPerth
Oil isnt sustainable at $120 per barrel, because it would do so much damage to the world economy demand would plummet like a rock.

Are you kidding?? If oil reached $120 or even $100 a barrel before you know it the world would be awash in the stuff. Everybody and their brother would be pulling up oil from existing wells, opening closed wells, looking for new deposits, etc. all hoping to cash in on the $100+ price.

The glut of would drive the price down as sure as the sun shines. In addition, the price of oil will drop like a brick b/c no one will buy the stuff at $120. Nations and private companies alike will be working around the clock to develop/refine/perfect syn-fuels.

And, last but not least, the oil producing countries (OPC) -- which generally produce little else -- have a very big stake in keep the price of oil within reason. If the price of oil gets too $$$$ buyers cut back, look for alternatives, etc. and revenues for said OPC falls. The fall in revenue means a fall in "bread-and-circuses" for the masses of the OPC, and that,in turn, means the politicos jump at every noise and warily eye every shadow.

18 posted on 05/29/2004 2:27:23 PM PDT by yankeedame ("Born with the gift of laughter & a sense that the world was mad.")
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Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: sgoldminerf
"...several fronts are arised in the market and it will not take much to push any over."

LOL! When has this never been the case? When have times never been hard, money never been tight, and the future never fraught with uncertainty? And yet somehow or other we all muddle through.

20 posted on 05/29/2004 2:31:17 PM PDT by yankeedame ("Born with the gift of laughter & a sense that the world was mad.")
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