Riyadh, 27 June (AKI) - King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has announced an amnesty for Islamist terrorists, Saudi newspaper reports said on Tuesday.The monarch revealed his plan for a new amnesty during a cabinet meeting in Jeddah on Monday, the daily Arab News reported. The announcement comes amid a crackdown on extremism in the kingdom. Forty suspected terrorists have been arrested in the last two months. Last Friday, six suspects and one policeman were killed in a gun battle between the police and extremists.
A similar amnesty two years ago encouraged six extremists within al-Qaeda cells in Saudi Arabia to give themselves up to police within the space of one month. They were released after five months. "Go forth and sin no more!" | Since the al-Qaeda terrorist network launched a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia three years ago, 150 people - including foreigners and police officers - have been killed in bomb attacks and shootings. More than 130 suspected terrorists have also been killed. |