Posted on 05/29/2004 12:50:07 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Suspected al Qaeda militants killed at least 16 people, including Westerners, and seized 50 foreigners as hostages in a Saudi city on Saturday in an attack on the world's biggest oil exporter.
Saudi forces stormed the Oasis housing compound, where the hostages were being held, in the eastern city of Khobar after the militants -- spraying gunfire at several buildings in their attack -- killed at least nine Saudis and seven foreigners.
"They are holding 50 foreign hostages. There are Americans, but there are more Italians. There are also Arabs," said a compound manager, declining to be named. He said there was an Italian restaurant in the complex, home to at least 20 Italians.
Shots rang out in the area as fighting raged between the militants and Saudi forces, who have been battling for a year to stamp out al Qaeda attacks in the kingdom -- a key U.S. ally.
The attack is the second in a month to target the oil industry and Westerners who form a large part of its workforce. Markets have been on edge over the possibility of a militant strike disrupting oil supplies because the situation in Saudi Arabia has already helped push world prices to $40 a barrel.
"NERVE CENTER"
"This is close to the nerve center of the Saudi oil industry, (state oil firm) Aramco headquarters in Dhahran," said Yasser Elguindi, an analyst with Medley Global Advisers in New York. "It could have a devastating impact on the oil market when we reopen (on Tuesday) after the Memorial Day weekend."
An American, a Briton, an Egyptian, two Filipinos, an Indian and a Pakistani were killed in the attack, along with two Saudis and seven security force members, the security sources said.
"We can verify that at least one American citizen has been injured and one killed," said Joanne Moore, a State Department spokeswoman.
Ambulances carried on rushing into the compound, suggesting the death toll might rise.
Witnesses said the militants tied the body of the Briton, an employee of Arab oil firm Apicorp, to a car and dragged it 1.2 miles before dumping it near a bridge.
Apicorp said three of its employees were among the dead.
A statement purportedly from Saudi-born Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network was posted on Islamist Internet sites claiming responsibility for the attack, the third on foreigners in less than a month in the birthplace of Islam.
Al Qaeda has vowed to destabilize the U.S.-allied kingdom. In 1996, the group chose Khobar to mount one of its first major attacks, killing 19 U.S. soldiers at a compound.
HUMAN SHIELDS
A policeman said the militants were using the hostages as human shields and that officials were trying to negotiate.
"Security forces are worried about storming because the gunmen have grenades," he said.
The kingdom's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Abdullah, vowed to crush the militants who he said were harming the economy.
"We will continue to chase this deviant group until we eradicate them," he said in remarks on the Saudi Press Agency.
Saturday's attack prompted the U.S. embassy to reiterate a call last month for its citizens to leave the kingdom.
Oil industry sources said Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi was set to meet Western oil company executives in the nearby city of Dhahran to reassure them after the attack.
An Oasis compound employee said the militants had asked residents to show identity cards to find out their religions.
"(The militants) were asking people if they were Christian or Muslims," he said.
Saudi state television showed footage of a man with Western features, slumped in his car, apparently shot dead. It also showed a charred car and a third blood-spattered vehicle.
GUNFIRE AT OIL OFFICES
The attackers opened fire at the Al-Khobar Petroleum Center building, believed to house offices of major Western oil firms, before storming into compounds with oil services offices and homes of employees, the security sources said.
Witnesses said the attackers drove cars with military markings into the Apicorp complex and opened fire. An Egyptian boy was killed when a school bus came under fire.
They also entered the Rami and Oasis compounds, where they took people hostage. Five Lebanese were later released.
Employees of Shell, Honeywell and General Electric lived in one of the compounds. The Oasis residence has housed executives from leading oil firms Royal Dutch/Shell, Total and LUKOIL.
The attack occurred two days after the top al Qaeda leader in the kingdom, Abdulaziz al-Muqrin, issued plans for urban guerrilla warfare designed to topple the royal family.
Earlier this month militants killed five foreigners in an attack on a petrochemical site in the Red Sea town of Yanbu and dragged the body of an American through the streets.
Good morning, Saudi Arabia!
Fox says the Saudis have mounted a counterattack.
What Fffin scumbags and cowards.
One American verified killed.
Actual number of Hostages is not certain.
Militants? These people are militants? Why doesn't Rooters go the entire trip and call them freedom fighters?
Women and children hostages. Are being used as human shields. Saudi forces may be storming the compound due to harm against hostages.
FoxNews
FNC reports that 1 American was killed, 1 wounded. One British man was dragged behind a car. One Egyptian boy was publicly killed. Murderers! Terrorists asked the victims if they were Christian or Muslim.
Some French.
Saudi Crown prince Abdullah vows to crush the terrorists per Fox Banner.
The Terrorists are separating out the Muslims from the Hostages , releasing the Muslims.
Good. Let's see it, Prince Abdullah.
What religious views does Samia Nakhoul, the Reuters reporter, hold? Does she think it's OK to shoot people because they are Christian and drag their bodies behind cars? I hate to ask this kind of question, but I am getting really, really PO'd at the so-called "news" media.
We can expect more instability in the oil market and even higher prices unless this is stopped.
The Saudi government has offered haven to terrorists for years, now they see the way they are paid back. Will the average American sheeple now wake up and realize the terror networks want to do nothing better than kill us?
OK, guess we can quit here then.
My chances of survival are 50/50 in the confusion of a storming, but I'm 100% a Nick Berg if I wait for the 'proper time', etc.
God be with those held, the families of those lost and the men that are about to perform heroically in the attempt to save the hostages.
In Jesus name and for His sake ... Amen.
The other thread is going nowhere.
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