TERRORISM: Saudi Terrorists Become Gangsters

Strategy Page ^ | 2005 Sep 7

[Wiz]

September 7, 2005: In Saudi Arabia, the war on terror continues. A three day siege of a house in eastern Saudi Arabia ended on September 6th, with the death of three terrorists and two policemen. While the Islamic terrorists have a lot of supporters in the kingdom, there are an even larger number of Saudis opposed to terrorism in their neighborhoods (Islamic terrorism elsewhere, like in Iraq, is more likely to be tolerated). Thus the police have a regular supply of tips. However, many of the suspected terrorists turn out to be common criminals. Increasingly, however, some of the gangsters are, indeed, terrorists as well. Under increased police pressure, and deprived of monetary support from wealthy and pious (but now terrified) Saudis, the Islamic radicals have turned to crime to finance their operations. Smuggling, money laundering and drugs are the major sources.

It’s not easy being a criminal in Saudi Arabia, especially if it involves drugs. Such crimes often result in death by beheading, which is usually preceded by “vigorous interrogation” (torture). With those prospects, Saudi gangsters tend to be a tough and fatalistic lot. The roughest of them come from the south, along the Yemeni border. This is an area where the king’s law was never strong, and the Shia tribes across the border in Yemen, long abused by Saudi Sunni religious radicals, did as they pleased. Or at least tried to. Between 2000 and 2004, Saudi police intercepted many smuggler shipments, which included 14.8 million rounds of ammunition, 16,300 firearms, 2,800 pounds of explosives, and other bomb making material.

The Saudi al Qaeda members, despite being fanatic Sunni religious bigots, work with the Yemeni Shia gangsters to get drugs and weapons into the kingdom.

[Wiz]

In the self destruction stage of terrorist groups, it is common that these groups engage criminal activities such as drug dealing in its final days. This has been the case for terrorist groups like the FARC. Meanwhile, terrorist group also begin to attack its own people in the group as well as civilians. This has been the case for Red Army of Japan. It might not always be the case, but it is likely that Al Qaida is suffering from the crack down by the government.

[Wiz]

ping