Here follow excerpts from the telephone conversation between Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs, and Abdullah Bin Hassan Bin Taali' Asiri, who died in his attempt to assassinate the Prince last Thursday night during a meeting at the Prince's Obhur home in Jeddah. Prince Muhammad: As-Salamu alakum, brother Muhammad Asiri: Yes, Yes. Prince Muhammad: How are you? Asiri: I'm well, how are you? Prince Muhammad: I'm well, I wish you good health. Asiri:And you too, Allah Willing. Prince Muhammad: How are things with you? Asiri: Ramadan Mubarak. Prince Muhammad: May Allah bless you, I trust you are well? Asiri:Thanks to God. Prince Muhammad: How is your brother Ibrahim? I hope he is well. Asiri: He is fine, thanks to God. Prince Muhammad:This is what should be done. Take care… the evil ones want to exploit in every way. Observe Allah and return home. Asiri: This Ramadan is prosperous. Prince Muhammad: Amen …Amen. I pray to Allah that it is always so. Asiri: I pray to Allah to protect us from all evil. This Ramadan is prosperous, Allah willing. Prince Muhammad: First you will see your family. Second, the woman and her children will return safely. It is because women, for us, come first in everything. Asiri: By God, you speak the truth. Prince Muhammad: If I had to choose between you and the woman, I would tell you all to stay there and let her come. Asiri: It is true. If you could see his little daughter and how Yousif is… I hope all goes well. Prince Muhammad: I pray to Allah that they come back and are reunited with her parents and family. Most importantly, you should tell your fellow brothers to come before the evil ones exploit them. Asiri: I greet you and pray to Allah that things go smoothly. Prince Muhammad: I assure you that all is well. My prime concern is that you reunite with your parents. Your parents have done nothing wrong. Your parents appear calm but that's because they don't want to let other people know they have been affected by your departure. Of course you know what is in their hearts. Asiri: Have you spoken to them? Prince Muhammad: I always enquire after them and speak to them by telephone. I am not doing this as a favor. Asiri: I wish I had called them. Prince Muhammad:Talk to them. Asiri: This is the one thing I wish for, for me and my brother Ibrahim to call them, if only once. Prince Muhammad: Good. Asiri: You know, if I speak to them alone, they may be frightened. Prince Muhammad: Your father may be understanding, but if you speak to your mother and your brother does not, she might think something's wrong. Asiri: I would like to see you to explain everything to you. Prince Muhammad: You are most welcome. If you come, we'll sit together and each of us will say what we have to say. The most important thing is that your fellow people don't delay things. I don't know what their situation is. Asiri: They said Sheikh Saeed told them that I should hurry up and meet with the Prince, but some of the youth are a bit afraid. Prince Muhammad: What are they afraid of? Asiri: I don't know, some of them are afraid. Prince Muhammad: It's alright, but you didn't enquire about Muhammad. He's alright and he's at home. Asiri: We got the news. Thank God. I felt very relieved when I heard the news. They said the Prince himself spoke and will give them attention. Prince Muhammad: At the outset let me say that if there is to be a public action it will be dealt with according to Shariah Law. We are bound to have failed in some areas, but it's unintentional. Let me be honest with you, no one is perfect. If a person is a murderer, there will be private legal action and I cannot guarantee a pardon from bereaved relatives. Asiri: May Allah bless you. Prince Muhammad: As far as I know you don't have private right. Asiri: Can you send a plane or something so that I can talk to the youth in your presence? If I talk to them in your presence, they will feel reassured and comfortable. Prince Muhammad: Whatever you want will be done. You are the one who can assess the situation. If the situation can wait until the plane comes and picks you up, it will be alright. Asiri: May Allah bless you. Prince Muhammad: And if the situation can't wait, then your fellow people should come. Asiri: Let me first speak to Thamer, then I will answer you. Prince Muhammad: Talk to them and seek their opinion. Most importantly, don't talk to your mother until Ibrahim comes with you. Asiri: Please forgive all the inconveniences. Prince Muhammad: It is alright. I forgive you, you are our son. It is an hour of blessing. We want you to come to our side and all of you return home because you mean a lot to us. Asiri: Allah Willing. In accordance with the terms of the above conversation, Asir was transported to Jeddah in the escort of security officials and taken to Prince Muhammad's home after Taraweeh prayers as is customary in the month of Ramadan. Upon meeting the Prince, Asiri declared his wish to hand himself over to the authorities and enable a group of other individuals currently in Yemen to also return. That group requested the protection of the leaders and wished to have this confirmed personally by Prince Muhammad by telephone, after which a telephone call was made to contact one of the group's individuals with Asiri present in the room. During the course of the telephone call the explosion occurred, resulting in the death of Asiri. By the grace of Allah, only Asiri was hurt in the incident. Security authorities continue to conduct their investigations. The Criminal Laboratory and forensic medical report reached conclusions which in the interests of security have not yet been revealed. The Ministry of Interior has described the actions of the suicide attacker and others behind the incident as a criminal and treacherous act rejected by Shariah Law and Arab values. The most insidious aspect is that the attacker reneged on his promise and sense of honor through his exploitation of women and children, and violated the sanctity of the holy month. He also committed a great crime and met good will with ill. It is Allah's will that protected Prince Muhammad and revealed the plot and the false calls made in the guise of religion which has no role in their acts, the ministry statement said. The Ministry of Interior reiterated that the act was contrary to the values of this nation and only served to uncover the true motives of the deviant group and its followers who have sold themselves to the enemy of the country and its righteous way based on the Holy Qur'an and traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The incident will not affect the open-door policy of the country's leadership and persons who have been tempted by the group should return home and avail themselves of the opportunities and care provided by the state, the ministry said.
