A Saudi court began formal legal proceedings on Monday against about 70 militant suspects ahead of the first trials of al-Qaeda sympathisers who waged a campaign of violence in the US-allied monarchy.
Security was tight around Riyadh’s general court where 10 judges began viewing the case against the men prepared by prosecutors. It was not clear when the trial would begin.
”All the people involved are implementers, inciters and supporters,” al-Riyadh newspaper said, adding they may include men who fought in Afghanistan, Iraq and militants extradited to Saudi Arabia recently from other countries.
Iraq handed over eight Saudi prisoners last month.
”Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula” began a campaign to destabilise the US-allied Saudi government in 2003 with two suicide bomb attacks on foreign housing compounds in Riyadh.
Around 264 people died in the violence.
Led by Saudis who took part in militant activities in Afghanistan and other hotspots, the violence was brought to a halt by Saudi security forces in co-operation with foreign experts in a counter-insurgency campaign that won plaudits in the west.
The last major attack was a failed attempt to storm the world’s largest oil processing plant at Abqaiq in February 2006.
The authorities have arrested hundreds over the past year on suspicion of trying to revive militant cells.
Saudis are thought to form the largest contingent among foreign Islamists fighting US troops and the Shia-led Iraqi government in Iraq.
Security was tight around Riyadh’s general court where 10 judges began viewing the case against the men prepared by prosecutors. It was not clear when the trial would begin.
”All the people involved are implementers, inciters and supporters,” al-Riyadh newspaper said, adding they may include men who fought in Afghanistan, Iraq and militants extradited to Saudi Arabia recently from other countries.
Iraq handed over eight Saudi prisoners last month.
”Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula” began a campaign to destabilise the US-allied Saudi government in 2003 with two suicide bomb attacks on foreign housing compounds in Riyadh.
Around 264 people died in the violence.
Led by Saudis who took part in militant activities in Afghanistan and other hotspots, the violence was brought to a halt by Saudi security forces in co-operation with foreign experts in a counter-insurgency campaign that won plaudits in the west.
The last major attack was a failed attempt to storm the world’s largest oil processing plant at Abqaiq in February 2006.
The authorities have arrested hundreds over the past year on suspicion of trying to revive militant cells.
Saudis are thought to form the largest contingent among foreign Islamists fighting US troops and the Shia-led Iraqi government in Iraq.
Source: Financial Times
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