In accordance with the statement of Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz, the minister of interior, at the press conference in Tabuk region on Wednesday that details will be announced on security men’s chasing of wanted persons who were preparing for terrorist actions in various regions of the Kingdom, an official source at the Ministry of Interior announced that a number of persons were arrested in Madinah last Tuesday and Wednesday. They were in possession of weapons, funds, false identity cards and documents, materials and devices necessary for making explosives. The source added that the arrested people were: - Ali Kudhair Fahd Al-Khudhair, Saudi,
- Ahmed Homood Al-Khaldi, Saudi,
- Saad Abdulrazzaq Faidhi Al-Ghamdi, Saudi,
- Turki Abdulaziz Al-Fuhaid, Saudi,
- Mohammed Abdulfattah Mohammed Kiram, Moroccan,
- Nasser Hamad Humain Al-Fahd, Saudi,
- Mohammed Salim Al-Ghamdi, Saudi,
- Hisham Mubarak Al-Hakami, Saudi,
- Omar Mubarak Al-Hakami,
- Majdi Ahmed Mohammed Ibrahim Abdullah Al-Khabrani, Saudi, and
- Talib Ahmed Kareem, Moroccan.
The source pointed out that after chasing a car which fled from one of the apprehension sites, security men stopped the car and arrested its occupants led by the so-called Abdulmonim Ali Mahfouz Al-Ghamdi accompanied by three Arab women without identity cards. They were Ghaidah Ahmed Souidah, Syrian, wife of Abdulmonim; Hanan Abdullah Raqib, Moroccan, claimed to be the wife of Sultan bin Jibran al-Qahtani, wanted; and Al-Iyadyyih Ahmed Mohammed Al-Sayyad, Moroccan, claimed to be the wife of Ali Abdulrahman Al-Faqaasi Al-Ghamdi, wanted. An amount of SR709,782 was found in possession with the arrested in addition to two pistols, 34 bullets, 3 magazines, a quantity of jewels and some forged documents. Investigation showed that the arrested used to make frequent visits to a number of locations to cover up their operations. These locations were:- Two villas in Al-Iskan quarters in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah.
- A villa in Al-Azhani quarters in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah.
- A farm in Al-Naseem quarters in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah.
Upon searching the locations authorities found weapons, hand grenades, chemical materials and a hidden camera to monitor the surroundings. Weapons and materials found in the locations include:- 19 machine guns;
- 3 pistols and 3 hand grenades;
- 7 boxes full of ammunitions;
- dangerous chemical materials;
- computer sets, papers on instruction of the making of explosives and a quantity of items, wires and electric equipment;
- a number of swords; and
- a number of booby cellular phones for use in explosion.
The source concluded his statement by saying that the security bodies at the Ministry of Interior will continue to follow-up and chase those who intend to carry out such terrorists works.
We'll be watching.
I'd guess there's some significance to the fact that the non-Saudis nabbed were (with the exception of the Syrian wife, who wouldn't count, anyway) Moroccans. The timing of the attacks in Casablanca, and their similarity to the Riyadh attacks, rings the little bell.
Of even more interest is all those al-Ghamdis — at least four of them, with a couple more mentioned other places. Ali Abd al-Rahman al-Faqasi al-Ghamdi was reportedly a member of Saif al-Adel's Qaeda gang. He was turned over to the Soddies after Tora-Bora, in December, 2001, by the Medes and the Persians. The Soddies patted his hand and let him go.
In February (doesn't time fly in the Wonderful World of Terror!) Abdullah Mesfer Ali al-Ghamdi was jugged in Morocco for the Great Exploding Rubber Raft Caper, busted up last June. I believe I read a report that he was released in a general amnesty on the birth of the King's son or something along those lines — it was late, can't remember.
But the kicker is the bin Laden video from December, 2001, featuring the dinner party with the visiting Soddy cleric, named, of all things, Sheikh al-Ghamdi. Al-Ghamdi was described as "a militant cleric from a tribe of the Assir province." Another of the Rubber Raft Caper guys was Hilal Jaber Awad Al-Assiri. Wanna bet where he comes from? Wanna bet where he goes to mosque? Wanna bet who is cleric is?
Need another layer? Among the 9-11 hijackers there were three al-Ghamdis: Hamza Al-Ghamdi and Ahmed Al-Ghamdi (flight 175), and Saeed Al-Ghamdi (flight 93).
Wonder if the Soddies and the Feds are drawing the same conclusions I am? I don't think there's any doubt as to whether it's Qaeda connected, and I don't have any doubt as to the involvement of most people named al-Ghamdi who're weened, with Mr. Holy Man at the top. |
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