Saudi king warns of terror threat to the world

Al Arabiya News ^ | August 29, 2014 | Staff Writer

[Brad from Tennessee]

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz warned on Friday that the threat of terrorism will reach Europe and America if the world does not unite to confront it, Al Arabiya News Channel reported.

The king made the statement during a reception of foreign ambassadors to the kingdom in the coastal city of Jeddah.

Britain on Friday raised the terror threat level to severe, the second-highest level.

The decision was related to developments in Iraq and Syria, but there was no information to suggest an attack was imminent.

“What we are facing in Iraq now with ISIL is a greater threat to our security than we have seen before,” Prime Minister David Cameron said.

He told reporters that while the Taliban facilitated al-Qaeda terrorism, the Islamic State group is “effectively a state run by terrorists.”

He said the ambition to create an Islamist caliphate isn't something that could be ignored. . .

[<1/1,000,000th%]

When the Iraqi troops captured our soldiers they treated men and women the same way. They raped and tortured them all.

[odds]

Personally I don't think regime change in KSA is feasible. No one would pursue that option. The West won't be nuking Mecca either, that's too farfetched, at least at present.

Equally, the royal family in S. Arabia includes many princes, not just the King. They don't share the same opinion. As you say, the Saudi Royal Family hand out a lot of money, donations shall we say. Islamic State (IS) aside, it's been know for years that some of that considerable money goes towards education of muslims who reside abroad. That education is neither secular nor about 'moderate' Islam. I know that for a fact in Australia and the UK.

In the end, I think groups such as IS will be the greatest threat for the Saudi royal family or members of it. And his majesty am sure knows he'll have to deal with internal turmoil within his own very large family.

[no-to-illegals]

My agreement DoughtyOne. Mistakes just as that four letter word happens. There is an excellent chance if and only if zer0 and his minions can be made to hole up after this next election and 2016 is legitimate and media (national media) does not play their cards because they too are seated at this table and if they screw up, Katie Bar the Door. Is going to be an interesting time for the entire planet. Am not looking toward (because I refuse to use the zer0 slogan of forward) the remainder of my time left on God’s planet. Certainly pray God intervenes for confusion is reining supreme. Pray much more than used to and is becoming a habit. A habit I enjoy btw because to not pray leaves me empty. Been a sincere pleasure to converse with you, DoughtyOne. May I be kinder next time in the word chosen.

[DoughtyOne]

We stood strong for about 70 years after WWII. We didn’t use nukes to face off the U.S.S.R., and we prevailed. True enough the trouble didn’t end there, but I don’t think it’s out of line to say we dominated the planet without using nukes again.

We can still dominate, if we opt to play the game.

If we don’t play the game, the lessons of history will be lost on us.

We shouldn’t be involved in every conflict, but certain ones we almost have to to keep world peace.

I know sometimes it looks like we’re actually starting a larger war, but if we don’t the larger war will develop anyway.

We either stand up when the skirmish is first started and say no, or we have to clean up a massive problem once it grows.

We should be kicking ISIL’s ass right now. Instead we’re going to wait until it dominates the whole Middle-East, and then we’ll have to man up and put it down.

I agree that our nations is a basket case right now. That doesn’t mean we should give up. We do the best we can until we can’t do it any longer.

[DoughtyOne]

I think so too. It may come sooner than we think too. I don’t want to suggest it will, but it may.

I agree with your comments.

It was my understanding for the most part that the Saudi students got a Western education. I wasn’t under the impression that endeared them to us, because they still go home and become our enemies.

Osama Bin Laden was education here if I remember correctly. If he wasn’t there’s a long list of others who were, that become big problems.

Thanks for the comments.

[rdcbn]

We would do well to listen to King Abdullah on ISIS. He, along with Obama and Qatar (and Assad himself as al - Qaeda’s terror patron during the Iraq insurgency) who created, armed , trained and funded ISIS as a terrorist army so he knows it's capabilities better than most anyone.

ISIS has become a Frankenstein's monster that has turned on it's creators and has broken loose in the Middle East to destroy them along with anything else in it's path

[Pining_4_TX]

Maliki and Karzai won’t be far behind. I’m sure they’ve stashed billions of our tax dollars in Swiss banks.

[no-to-illegals]

True.

[DoughtyOne]

I didn’t see the word, so don’t worry about it. Hey, whatever it was, I’m sure I’ve had worse used against me by people I loved a lot more. LOL Don’t sweat it.

I agree with your comments about 2016, and hopefully putting the Left back in the rabbit hole.

Thanks for sharing that you pray. I respect that. I don’t as much as I should. That is a flaw. I recognize it.

I enjoyed talking with you too, and next time we’ll enjoy it again I’m sure.

Take care.

[no-to-illegals]

actually meant words ... plural ... LOL
Is good to converse with a kind soul of which you are. Thank you for the conversation.

[odds]

I wasn't speaking simply about Saudi students abroad, but muslim families abroad, who send their children to Islamic schools where Islamic teachings are on the curriculum. Sunnis in particular, who constitute 85% of the muslim population around the world.

True, there are muslims who go to Western schools with no Islamic teachings on the curriculum, and later in life become radicalized by attending mosques or moving in certain social circles. But that doesn't mean that funding Wahabi teachings don't at the very least contribute to developing a certain Islamic mindset from a very young age, in the West.

Actually, the Saudi royal family as the custodians of the holy cities (Mecca and Medina) are obliged to not only protect the land of the prophet but also to morally and financially support muslims. They have so far chosen to do precisely that.

We could also discuss how the Taliban came about and how they were funded by the Saudi ruling class (and friends) initially to overthrow the USSR... until we felt the Taliban were a threat, when several Saudi nationals blew up buildings with a lot of people in them.

I fully appreciate not everyone in the Saudi ruling class funds terrorists or spreads their version of Islam. But to deny that KSA and its ruling class have played a big role over the last 3 or 4 decades in the spread of extremism is being too diplomatic at best.

[Aria]

IMO we made a mistake getting rid of Saddam, Col Daffy, attempting to get rid of Assad, assisting in getting rid of the Shah of Iran....it has all blown up in our faces.

We westerners don’t understand what it takes to keep these Muslim Maniacs in line and these guys did. Yeah, the Saudis as a whole have played both ends - i.e. funding the radical beliefs that now may consume them, but overall they seemed to realize they need us.

And now here we are in one of our most dangerous situations and we’ve got an arrogant nincompoop at the helm - one who spent his formative years as a muslim and listening to his mother and step-father bash the USA.

Great. It’s enough to make you think God has turned his back on us.

[DoughtyOne]

I wasn't speaking simply about Saudi students abroad, but muslim families abroad, who send their children to Islamic schools where Islamic teachings are on the curriculum. Sunnis in particular, who constitute 85% of the muslim population around the world.

I agree with this.  I hadn't intended to group these people in, but I agree they do exist.  I also believe they can be very anti-American/Christian in their teachings too.  And as opposition goes, there are a lot of protestant churches that look very dimly on the Catholic Church.  The difference is, they don't advocate for killing Catholics or harming them eather.  Islam does teach violence.  It is justified in their minds.  It is even required in their minds.  Bad!  Very bad.

True, there are muslims who go to Western schools with no Islamic teachings on the curriculum, and later in life become radicalized by attending mosques or moving in certain social circles. But that doesn't mean that funding Wahabi teachings don't at the very least contribute to developing a certain Islamic mindset from a very young age, in the West.

I agree.  This is the fundamental reason I do not advocate for the followers of Islam to be here on our soil.  It cannot be anything but destructive.  Even if it isn't in a certain period, it is latent.  It's there.  If something triggers it, we're in trouble.

Actually, the Saudi royal family as the custodians of the holy cities (Mecca and Medina) are obliged to not only protect the land of the prophet but also to morally and financially support muslims. They have so far chosen to do precisely that.

To be honest, I don't have a problem with this.  Mecca is on Saudi soil, and it's not a crime to allow the hoge. (sp?)  Islam is what it is,  We know it's bad traits.  I don't believe the hoge is a problem per se.  

We could also discuss how the Taliban came about and how they were funded by the Saudi ruling class (and friends) initially to overthrow the USSR... until we felt the Taliban were a threat, when several Saudi nationals blew up buildings with a lot of people in them.

We have a tendency to make a big deal out of things the Saudis do.  If you think about it, didn't we help create the Taliban.  When the U. S. S. R. was in Afghanistan, we helped arm it's enmies there.  I think that was the early stages of the Taliban. I know we give Hamas funds.  It angers me, but we do in Gaza.  So couldn't we be judged by the same measure as the Saudis?

I fully appreciate not everyone in the Saudi ruling class funds terrorists or spreads their version of Islam. But to deny that KSA and its ruling class have played a big role over the last 3 or 4 decades in the spread of extremism is being too diplomatic at best.

I know a lot of folks think that way.  How many aircraft did Saudi Nationals hijack back in the 60s and 70s?  How many times have the Saudis come out and demanded Israel be pushed into the sea?  How much money does Saudi Arabia give to Hamas in the Gaza strip?  Fact is, we finance Hamas.  So does Europe.  I don't belive Saudi Arabia does.  Even if they do, so do we.I think we get angry at the Saudis for doing some of the same things we do.

[edpc]

When the leadership of Saudi Arabia is no longer moderate, some folks are going to get a real shock. Then they’ll wish they had the Saudi Royal Family to deal with again.

If all that's standing between us and another Iran is a few hundred family members, I think it's safe to assume they're not trustworthy as a nation in general. Even the ruling faction is duplicitous at best.

[Smokin' Joe]

Now that they have spent a half century and billions of dollars promoting Wahhabism around the globe, they are getting worried when it’s in their back yard.

Rules for thee but not for me! (funny how the more things change, the more they stay the same). They're the elites, dangit! They are supposed to be exempt!

Hold their feet to the same fire they'd hold everyone else to and they'd go up like a gas soaked rag.

[odds]

Re the Taliban: Maybe I should've elaborated when I said (and friends). Saudis mostly funded, the US armed and trained, Pakistanis provided most of the facilities for education. During very early days of Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, most madrassas (schools), where Wahabi and radical Islamic teachings took place, were in Pakistan.

The Saudis like the Mullahs in Iran operate by proxy, not directly. The US too on several occasions. However, I'd say the geopolitics of 60s and 70s was different to today. PLO and co were the big hijackers during the 70s in particular. Whether they were also funded by KSA, I don't know. The geopolitics of the M.E. and N. Africa changed dramatically after the fall of the USSR at the end of 1980s, in turn giving rise to Islamism.

Frankly, neither the Mullahs in Iran, nor the Saudi ruling class, nor any other Gulf Sheikhdoms could've survived as long as they've were it not for the indirect & direct support of the U.S. and on occasions Britain. Of course it applies more to S. Arabia & the Gulf Sheikhdoms. The Iranian regime nowadays depends more on Russia and China.

In terms of KSA and Mecca/Medina, I mentioned it because someone in this thread was saying the Saudi King is Islamophobic. Well, I hope for the sake of the King most don't think so in S. Arabia or elsewhere in the muslim world! Because he'll be in BIG trouble. The House of Saud was installed by the British after WWI to be the custodian of the holy land of the prophet. It was accepted by the majority of the muslims around the world, on the conditions that the House of Saud protects the holy lands, morally and financially assists muslims and the muslim cause, around the globe. Prior to that Mecca was protected by the (Turkish) Ottoman Empire.

I do think, as someone else also said here, that the House of Saud has been burning both ends of the candle for many years. It's doubtful that they will be able to continue to strike a balance between their obligations to the muslim world and their Western allies. We shall see how matters develop in coming years...

[kelly4c]

this is true

[kelly4c]

“Saud protects the holy lands, morally and financially assists muslims and the muslim cause, around the globe. Prior to that Mecca was protected by the (Turkish) Ottoman Empire.”

This reminds me of a video I saw on Youtube not long ago that enlightened me personally, as to how Christian prophecy seems to be shaping up and who “Mystery Babylon” really is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY20IFaWlsQ

[RedHeeler]

They are not worried. It is quite similar to Saladin, pronouncing victory, prior to conquests.

[ronnie raygun]

They fund these bastards