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CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

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### Viewing cable 09RIYADH1121, SAUDIS CONDEMN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, RALLY BEHIND

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Reference ID | Date | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | ---
09RIYADH1121 | 2009-08-31 04:04 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Riyadh

`

    VZCZCXRO4632
    PP RUEHROV
    DE RUEHRH #1121/01 2430443
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    P 310443Z AUG 09
    FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1465
    INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 RIYADH 001121

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2019
    TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER SA
    SUBJECT: SAUDIS CONDEMN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, RALLY BEHIND
    PRINCE

    REF: A. RIYADH 1110
         ¶B. RIYADH 939
         ¶C. RIYADH 921
         ¶D. RIYADH 928

    Classified By: CDA Ambassador Richard Erdman for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)

    SUMMARY AND COMMENT
    --------------------

    ¶1.  (C) In the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt
    targeting Assistant Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin
    Naif (MbN) (ref A), King Abdullah and other officials
    responded swiftly and decisively to reassure the public that
    the Prince was well, and reaffirm the Kingdom's commitment to
    combating terrorism.  The press and the public universally
    condemned the attack, characterizing it as a direct assault
    against the Saudi state and Islam.  A more measured reaction
    in the blogosphere hints at how this most recent incident
    might affect domestic debate on the proper approach to
    dealing with domestic terrorism, with some calling for
    continued leniency and emphasis on reform and others arguing
    the Saudi government is being too lax.  The attack seems to
    have strengthened the already positive public reputation of
    Prince Mohammed bin Naif, and many religious-minded Saudis
    will see his miraculous survival, almost unscathed, as a sign
    of Divine protection and blessing for his efforts against
    Al-Qaeda and other extremists.  For his part, Prince Mohammed
    has told us the attack has only strengthened his resolve, and
    convinced him that the Kingdom's counter-terrorism strategy,
    combining firmness with understanding, is effective and
    should continue.  End Summary and Comment.

    OFFICIAL REACTION SWIFT AND DECISIVE
    ------------------------------------

    ¶2.  (U) Official condemnation came from all quarters
    immediately following the attack.  The Saudi Press Agency
    published photographs of King Abdullah and MbN, wearing a
    bandage on his left middle finger, meeting at the hospital in
    Jeddah.  News channel Al-Arabiya played a tape of the visit
    throughout the day in which the visibly concerned King
    praised Allah for the Prince's safety and described the
    attack as an attack against both Islam and the country:
    "Thanks be to God that you are safe and nothing has happened
    to you.  Everything you might have suffered in the service of
    your religion and homeland will not be for nothing, God
    willing."  MbN responded that this attack "would only
    strengthen our resolve to root out the terrorists," and
    admitted that he was at fault for failing to require a full
    search of the bomber.  Official reports note that the
    would-be assassin was on a list of 85 wanted terrorists, that
    MbN was aware of his planned attendance, and that he had been
    expected to turn himself in at the event.

    ¶3.  (U) Other prominent religious and political figures were
    widely quoted in the press the day after the incident.  The
    Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia told Okaz newspaper the attack
    was "not unexpected," and called the assailant "deviant" and
    "corrupt to the core."  Justice Minister Mohammed Al-Issa
    "thanked Allah" for keeping the Prince safe.  Interior
    Ministry Spokesman Major General Mansour Al-Turki reaffirmed
    the Ministry's commitment to fighting terrorism,
    characterizing the attack as "an isolated incident" and
    adding "those who think the war on terror is over in the
    Kingdom are mistaken."

    PRINCE FETED IN PAPERS, PUBLIC SHOCKED BY ATTACK
    --------------------------------------------- ---

    ¶4.  (U) All major Arabic and English dailies led with the
    story, focusing prominently on MbN himself and his role in
    the Kingdom's war on terror.  Al-Sharq Al-Awsat dedicated the
    first three pages of the August 29 edition solely to the
    attack on the Prince and related subjects.  Other papers
    included lengthy biographical profiles of the Prince,
    editorial cartoons dealing with the event, and even poems in
    his honor.

    ¶5.  (U) The articles and editorials show broad support for
    MbN and, more generally, the fight against terrorism.  Many
    depicted the event as an assault on the Saudi state that
    called for a patriotic response.  Saudi journalist Dawood
    Al-Shiryan wrote in Al-Hayat that the attack was "terrorism
    as a political rebellion attempting to undermine the
    authority of the state."  Okaz called the attack "an attack
    on the security of the nation...that should make everyone
    alert and ready to fight."  The August 29 editorial cartoon
    in Al-Watan depicted a prone terrorist, wearing an explosive
    belt and holding a detonator in each hand, dead and bleeding

    RIYADH 00001121  002 OF 003

    from a wound caused by the Saudi flag planted in his back.
    In the same paper, a caricature accompanying a poem
    celebrating the Prince as "Engineer of Love and War" shows
    him carrying a shield resembling the Saudi flag.

    ¶6.  (U) The public's reaction as portrayed in an Arab News
    article was of "shock, disgust, and dismay," noting that the
    timing of the attack during the holy month of Ramadan was a
    particular source of ire.  One student in Jeddah said "Yes,
    there is frustration among a section of people regarding our
    foreign policy, but what happened...is deplorable and utterly
    un-Islamic."  A Riyadh-based professional questioned whether
    the Kingdom should continue with its rehabilitation programs,
    saying these efforts had been "nullified" by the attack and
    that the perpetrator had "betrayed our leaders."  Others
    called the attack "evidence that the government's anti-terror
    tactics have been largely successful," and observed "panic in
    the terror camp" and "frustration with the government's
    continued success of hitting (terrorists) hard."

    DIVERSE REACTION IN THE BLOGOSPHERE
    -----------------------------------

    ¶7.  (U) On his Saudi Jeans blog, Ahmed Al-Omran expressed
    relief that the Prince was not seriously injured and hope
    that the incident would not "add fuel to the fire" of the
    debate between liberals and conservatives.  He added, "this
    is a time for solidarity and national unity, let us not ruin
    it."  A contributor to blog Al-Saha encouraged MbN to
    continue to demonstrate openness and patience with
    terrorists, not revert to iron-fisted policies.  An informal
    poll on the same website indicated strong support for the
    Prince, with 58% of voters suggesting MbN should replace his
    father as Interior Minister.  Liberal blog Al-Tomaar said the
    attack was the result of "spoiling terrorists and treating
    them leniently," referring to the SAG's widely-touted
    terrorist rehabilitation scheme (ref B).

    CONTACTS RESERVE COMMENT
    ------------------------

    ¶8.  (C) Post contacts were reluctant to comment substantively
    on the attack over the phone, telling us that it was common
    for royals to welcome well-wishers during Ramadan, that they
    were relieved MbN was not injured, and that they wondered why
    the man was not checked.  When the subject was broached at a
    meeting between PAS officers and Deputy Minister of Higher
    Education Mohammed Alohali on August 29, however, he went
    somewhat beyond the fulsome praise of MbN as "Qahir al
    Erhaby" (conqueror of terrorism) that is the stuff of most
    media commentary.  "We know what we,re up against," said
    Alohali, adding that dangerous extremists were still a threat
    to the country.  This, he said, was the reason the SAG was
    pushing educational reform so hard.

    TERROR, YEMEN ALREADY HOT TOPICS
    --------------------------------

    ¶9.  (U) Saudi soul-searching about the root causes and extent
    of domestic terrorism has been evident since 2003, and the
    August 20 announcement that 44 suspected Al-Qaeda militants
    had been arrested in the Kingdom injected it with new vigor.
    On August 22, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat columnist Husayn Al-Shubakshi
    praised the Saudi security forces for their "pre-emptive,
    focused, professional, and secret blows," and credited MbN
    directly for the Ministry's success.

    ¶10.  (U) In an August 27 piece in the same paper, columnist
    Mshari Al-Zaydi also considered the arrests a success, while
    citing the need to confront terrorism as an ideological
    issue.  That this new batch of terrorists was predominantly
    Saudi, middle-aged, and well-educated challenged previous
    assumptions that economic deprivation and youthful religious
    zealotry were responsible for domestic terrorism, and
    indicated that the government needed to rethink its approach.
     "Saudi Arabia is now confronting a new virus that is
    constantly evolving," he writes, adding "the ideological
    doctor who is holding on to the surgeon's scalpel...is yet to
    enter the operating theater."

    ¶11.  (C) Although unvoiced in the gushing media paeans to
    MbN, ordinary Saudis are wondering how this assassination
    attempt came so close to fruition.  According to today,s
    edition of "Okaz," the suspect managed to make his way from
    Yemen into Saudi Arabia some weeks ago, and finally rented a
    furnished apartment in Jeddah.  We anticipate that such
    reports will inevitably spur some introspection into how well
    the security services are patrolling the Asir region.

    RIYADH 00001121  003 OF 003

    ERDMAN

`