Saudi's round up over 500 in al Qaeda sweep

CNN:

Saudi authorities announced a massive anti-terrorism sweep Wednesday that netted more than 500 members of a purported al Qaeda-linked terrorist cell said to be planning attacks on Saudi targets, including major oil installations.

Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Gen. Mansour al-Turki said that 701 were initially arrested but only 520 are still in custody. The remaining 181 were released for lack of evidence.

Nevertheless, it is the largest number of arrests of terrorism suspects announced by Saudi authorities.

In a written statement, the ministry said the cell's leader was found with a letter from al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, "urging him to raise funds and that [al-Zawahiri] will provide him with the personnel, whom they called the mujahedeen."

The mujahedeen, the ministry said, are really "deviant spoilers" who it said would be "arriving from Iraq, Afghanistan and North Africa to target the oil installations and to fight the security forces."

"They had already begun planning to target oil installations and other security locations with car bombs," it said.

Al-Turki said that some of those arrested are believed to have recruited and trained militants from Asia in order to bring them to Saudi Arabia to carry out terrorist attacks, al-Turki said.

During the arrests, the ministry said, Saudi security forces seized a variety of weapons, ammunition, money and documents disclosing financial support for terrorist activities. It said the terror cell was "taking advantage of the leniency granted to the pilgrims and the visitors to the Holy Mosque and the holy places."

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A few days ago Saudi authorities hinted at some arrest of people involved in terrorist finance. This event suggest what was being financed and the size of the plan of attack. That al Qaeda had to import the terrorist suggest just how effective Saudi efforts have been at eliminating the domestic al Qaeda ops who exposed themselves a few years ago and were quickly killed or caught. They still have some work to do on going after terrorist finance in Saudi Arabia.

Recently a al Qaeda operative testified that his operation was funded by the Saudi High Commission for Relief of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Three years ago Saudi bankers claimed they had taken effective measures but the facts seem to dispute that assertion.

Arab News has more details on the arrest that occurred over several weeks. The note five different unrelated groups were involved.