Participants at an international workshop on terrorism and terror funding have emphasized the need of legislation to curb the problem.
“The Kingdom is in the process of creating chairs for scientific research on terrorism in almost all universities across the country,” said Abdul Mohsen Al-Munif, a BIP counselor. Al-Munif said that Saudi Arabia has boosted its counterterrorism efforts by introducing a number of measures, including the dispersing of religious discourse on terrorism (religious edicts) through television channels, newspapers and other media, including mosques. These fatwas, he said, call on people to refrain from insane violence, acts of terror, organized crime and financing terrorist operations, which are strongly prohibited in Islam.
“Regular raids by police are aimed at detaining illegal workers and curbing crime in the capital city,” said local resident Alamgir Hussain. Eyewitnesses said that Asian expatriates, mainly from Bangladesh, Yemen, Nepal, Philippines, Pakistan, India and some African countries, were rounded up from Haiul Wazarat, Al-Salahiya and Batha districts of the city during the raids.
Ahmed Zaid Salim Zuhair, who had been in custody at the infamous American prison for the last seven years without trial for his alleged involvement in terror acts including the killing of an American in Bosnia, was extradited to the Kingdom in June last year. The 45-year-old had to be force-fed after he started a hunger strike in 2005 to protest against his captivity and conditions.
RIYADH: The Kingdom’s tourism sector got a major boost with the announcement on Sunday of a plan to issue new regulations to streamline the operation of hotels and furnished apartments. The new regulations have been issued by the Supreme Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA). The body, which is empowered to cease or issue operational permits to tourist facilities and hotels, has also announced it has taken over four important archaeological sites at a cost of about SR19 million. The sites are to be restored and developed for tourism. “Payments have been made on the instructions of Prince Sultan bin Salman, SCTA’s chief,” said Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Ghabban, SCTA’s vice president.
Prince Turki was quoted by Agence France Presse as saying on Sunday that his handshake at an international security conference in Munich should not be seen as acquiescence to Israel’s stance on Palestinian autonomy. “My strong objections and condemnations of Tel Aviv’s policies and actions against the Palestinians remain unchanged,” he said.