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| S Arabia must stay on guard against Qaeda: Armitage |
| 2004-12-12 |
| Al Qaeda militants in Saudi Arabia have been weakened by a government crackdown but remain determined to attack US targets whatever the cost, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said. "We are aware that our enemy is determined to attack us and they do not care about their lives but want to inflict the most damage on others...They are bloodthirsty," Armitage told Arabic satellite television Al Arabiya in comments aired on Saturday. Al Qaeda gunmen stormed the US consulate in Jeddah on Monday, killing five people and briefly taking hostages before Saudi security forces retook the complex and killed four of the five militants. Saudi officials say they have broken the back of a deadly 19-month Al Qaeda campaign against foreigners and government targets in the world's biggest oil exporter. Armitage praised Saudi Arabia's response but said it must remain vigilant. "I think (Al Qaeda) are becoming weaker but are still active and our friends the Saudis are aware of that and so are we," said Armitage, whose comments were dubbed from English into Arabic. "We have to be more cautious at all times and we cannot let up for a single moment." |
| Posted by:Fred |