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Saudi Cleric Blasts U.S. Consulate Attack
Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority on Wednesday condemned as a sin the deadly shooting rampage at a U.S. consulate, and local newspapers reported one of the slain assailants was a former employee of the nation's religious police. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh reopened Wednesday, two days after militants stormed into the inner courtyard of a U.S. consulate in this port city firing their guns, grabbing human shields and killing five people. Four of the attackers were killed.U.S. officials warned more attacks were possible, and the injured spoke of assailants opening fire and hunting for victims with shouts of "Where are the Americans?" Grand Mufti Abdul-Aziz al-Sheik said in a statement that anyone who enters the kingdom with the permission of its leaders has a promise of security and should not be attacked. "What happened on Monday regarding the storming of the U.S. consulate in Jiddah, using weapons and explosives, killing innocent souls, petrifying secure ones, and undermining security in the kingdom are all forbidden acts and grand sins," al-Sheik said. As Saudi Arabia's most senior cleric, the mufti's words carry significant weight among Saudis, though his views normally wouldn't diverge far from the official government line. Posted by: Fred 2004-12-08 |
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