Qaeda leadership has asked its followers in the Kingdom to leave the country for Yemen in the face of stiff combat and preemptive operations being conducted by Saudi security forces, said Dr. Abdul Aziz Bin Saqr Al-Ghamdi, President of the Gulf Center for Strategic Studies. Disclosing the content of a letter distributed by the so-called Al-Qaeda Organization in the Southern Arabian Peninsula to its followers in the Kingdom, Al-Ghamdi said in a telephone interview that the terror network was planning to expand its operations in Yemen by targeting tourists. He said the letter proves that Al-Qaeda followers were on the run in the Kingdom from the Saudi security forces. Since May 2003, more than 9,000 suspected militants were arrested and 3,106 remain in detention. The Kingdom has foiled at least two major plots since 2006 to hit major oil facilities. Last April, more than 170 people were arrested for planning attacks on oil and industrial facilities, including some who had been training as pilots in preparation for possible suicide operations. Five of the men played a role in an attempt to storm a major oil facility at Abqaiq in February 2006. Last December, security forces arrested 28 militants suspected of planning criminal acts in the Kingdom. At that time the Interior Ministry also announced the arrest of an Al-Qaeda-linked group planning a “terrorist act” during the Haj. Dr. Ibrahim Owayyidh Al-Otaibi, security affairs expert, said Saudi security forces have made big gains against the Al-Qaeda network in the Kingdom. He said security men have gained a lot of field experience that has made them a strong barrier against terror and terrorists. Dr. Mustafa Al-‘Aani, Vice President of the Gulf Center for Strategic Studies, said it was impossible to eradicate Al-Qaeda from the Kingdom completely. However, Saudi security agencies have been able to dismantle the organization to the extent that it has become very difficult to rebuild it despite all the attempts. Retired Maj. Gen. Dr. Salim Bin Salim Al-Barraq, an expert in combating terrorism, said preemptive strikes against Al-Qaeda have aborted many terror plots, dangerous not only to the Kingdom but also to the world. – Okaz __
