The Beirut-based "Moharrer Al-Arabi," weekly newspaper has published recently an article, translated from the American magazine 'Foreign Policy'. The article is concerned with the causes of the failure of al-Qaeda to spread terrorism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It underscored the importance of learning lessons from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as regards fighting terrorism. Moharrer Al-Arabi quoted Foreign Policy as saying that in May 2003, al-Qaeda launched its first attack in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but the activities of al-Qaeda in the country have diminished and disappeared gradually within some years despite the expectations of some quarters that they would continue for a long time. Why al-Qaeda failed in Saudi Arabia, inquired the magazine, adding that one of the major causes for the failure of al-Qaeda operations is the fact that the Saudi authorities have known how to deal smartly with it and these Saudi authorities have not exaggerated their response vis-à-vis the activities of al-Qaeda. Numerous analysts have described the Saudi methodology in combating terrorism with a lenient style, but actually the Saudi way in fighting terrorism has proved to be successful in this respect, said the magazine. The tough style used by Algeria and some other Arab countries in fighting terrorism in the 90's of the last century proved to a bad example in fighting terrorism because it led to unnecessary huge losses in lives and properties. The magazine added 'through dependence on force haphazardly some Arab regimes have fed some mutiny movements in a manner that elongated bloody disputes with them. "But Saudi Arabia has mixed force in fighting terrorism with other options in addition to the organized media campaign against al-Qaeda. The Kingdom has proved that its strategy is more effective and better than the cruel alternatives carried out by other countries in fighting terrorism," said the magazine adding that it has become an essential matter to learn lessons from the Saudi experience in this domain. --MORE
