Citizens and expatriates across the country strongly condemned yesterdayâs suicide car bomb blast in the capital and called for concerted efforts to root out terrorism. A Saudi businessman in Jeddah, who identified himself as Muhammad, condemned the âdastardly and cowardlyâ acts and hoped that security would be further improved and those guilty of masterminding such attacks would be apprehended. âGod will help us defeat these people,â he said.
Abdullah Al-Toimi, a 22-year-old student, said: âThis is shocking. It isnât safe anymore to go out. Weâre all apprehensive. What if they target a shopping mall? These guys are not targeting foreigners but they are targeting Saudi Arabia.â
| "If they were targeting foreigners we wouldn't mind so much..." |
Also in Jeddah, British expatriate Carole Jones, condemning the blast, said: âThis is terrible. They are killing poor security personnel. Itâs Arabs killing Arabs. Why?â Her husband Stephen echoed her sentiments: âThe security forces are doing a good job so the terrorists are trying to get revenge. The attacks have shifted from being religious to being political. We Westerners, appreciate the sacrifices the security forces are making to protect us. We hope the government is taking care of their dependents.â
People in the Eastern Province also expressed shock and horror and many admitted to being nervous. Housing compounds are guarded by armored vehicles and National Guard personnel but residents admit that they feel uneasy when such incidents occur. âIf I did not have faith in the present security arrangements, then I would not have stayed here and risked my familyâs lives. But when we hear reports of terror attacks, we are scared to death,â said Ralph.
A Saudi Aramco employee from Texas says that he is not worried in the Aramco compound. âBut when we go to supermarkets or any other public place, we are concerned and a bit wary,â he added. Kathy, a British housewife living in a housing compound in Alkhobar, said the Riyadh blast has made her nervous and she was worried for her husband who travels frequently to Riyadh and Jeddah. âIt is not that we donât have confidence in Saudi security arrangements but these terrorists are not even sparing their own people. They can strike anywhere and this is very scary. It is not a question of Westerners or Asians but a blind attack against humanity.â
Brad Gilbert, an American working in Ras Tanura, said: âI think more Saudis have been victims than Westerners.â In Riyadh, Mariano Dumia of the Philippine Embassy said he had been unable to determine whether there were any Filipino victims of yesterdayâs blast. âWe tried to go to the scene but the main roads leading to it were blocked. We also checked with Al-Shumaysi Hospital. I hope that no Filipino was among the victims.â Ibrahim Sahib Ansar, Sri Lankan ambassador, said there was no report of a Sri Lankan victim of the blast.
Cris Agunos, a credit analyst with Saudi British Bank in the capital, said: âAs long as Iâm not affected, Iâll stay in the Kingdom. This is nothing compared to when I was in Alkhobar during the Gulf War in 1991.â A Filipino banker with Arab National Bank, Abner Macapagal, said they had been shaken by the impact of the blast. âOur office is just 3 km away. We were on the sixth floor and it felt like we were having an earthquake. The first thing that came to mind was fear. It was terrible,â Macapagal added. |