|
American's Slaying in Saudi Arabia Prompts 'Security Message'
[ABCNEWS.GO] Officials are issuing a "security message" to U.S. citizens in Soddy Arabia...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... after two Americans employed by a U.S. defense contractor supporting Saudi National Guard military programs were shot today in Riyadh, one of them fatally, according to the U.S. State Department. The two men were shot at a gas station-store less than a mile from the Vinnell Arabia base in Riyadh, which is located about 20 miles from the U.S. Embassy, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki ...a valley girl who woke up one morning and found she was spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of State... said. "We are in the process of evaluating our security posture and will take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of all U.S. Mission personnel," she said. "Our Embassy is issuing a security message to U.S. citizens to advise them on the situation and any safety precautions they should take." The gunman opened fire on a car stopped at a gas station near the King Fahd stadium, in the east of the Saudi capital, police say. Neither American has been named and there is no known motive at this time. Psaki described the surviving man as "lightly injured," adding that police have a suspect in jug. "We are in close contact with the Saudi government as we continue to gather details about the shooting and motive," she said. She explained that the State Department "security message" is used to "communicate information about personal security threats of a general or systemic nature, such as crime trends, demonstrations, peaceful actions intended to disrupt normal activity, or localized events not likely to affect large numbers of U.S. citizens." "Such messages are regularly issued by embassies and consulates abroad to provide timely and important safety and security information to U.S. citizens living or traveling in their districts." According to its LinkedIn page, Vinnell Arabia is "the market leader in U.S. military doctrine-based training, logistics, and support services inside Saudi Arabia. We provide unparalleled training and simulation services for defense, national security as well as fire and emergency medical response."
A former employee of a U.S. defense contractor rubbed out one American colleague and maimed another in the Saudi capital Tuesday, officials said, in a rare attack on Westerners in the kingdom. The alleged shooter, Abdulaziz Fahad Abdulaziz Alrashid, 24, "worked at the same company as the victims, and was recently dismissed from his job due to drug related issues," Riyadh's embassy in Washington said in a statement. A United States diplomat identified the gunman as a disgruntled former employee of Vinnell Arabia. The victims of Tuesday's petrol station shooting in Riyadh also worked at Vinnell Arabia, the diplomat said, ruling out terrorism as a possible motive for the attack. Riyadh's embassy in Washington said the suspect, Alrashid, is a dual Saudi-American citizen born in Washington State. Posted by: Fred 2014-10-15 |
|
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=402052 |