March 3, 2006

SAUDI SECURITY FORCES FOIL A TERRORIST ATTACK ON OIL-PROCESSING FACILITY IN ABQAIQ. THE INTERIOR MINISTRY ANNOUNCES THE KILLING OF THE TERRORISTS AL-GAITH AND AL-TUWAIJRI IN THE FAILED ATTACK. AN OFFICIAL SOURCE: TWO CARS LADEN WITH TWO TONS OF EXPLOSIVES WERE USED IN THE ATTACK. SAUDI SECURITY FORCES ARREST 12 TERRORISTS IN A FARM SOUTH OF JIZAN. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has foiled a terrorist attack on its largest oil processing facility at Abqaiq in the Eastern Province. Terrorists in two explosives-laden cars attacked the facility in the afternoon, but were prevented from breaking through the gates when guards opened fire on them. The vehicles exploded and killed their occupants. Authorities confirmed that two terrorists were killed and two guards severely wounded in the attack. An official source at the Interior Ministry stated that at 3:00 pm on Friday February 24, 2006, two cars attempted to drive through a back gate of Abqaiq industrial refineries. Presuming them as suspect cars, the security men fired on the two cars, exploding them near the entrance. The incident resulted in a minor fire, which was immediately controlled and there were no changes on production operations. Two security men were severely injured during this incident. A supplementary statement issued later said: With reference to the statement earlier issued by the Interior Ministry about the criminal attack on Abqaiq oil processing facility on Friday, Feb. 24, 2006, an official source at the Interior Ministry said that the attack resulted in the martyrdom of the two security men: Hamad bin Salih bin Mubarak al-Marri and Badi bin Saud al-Haqbani al-Dosari. The official source said four other security men were injured. "Some of them have been discharged from the hospital after receiving the required medical treatment." Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi said the blast "did not affect operations" at the facility, denying an earlier report on Al-Arabiya television that the flow of oil was halted briefly after a pipeline was damaged. The facility "continues to operate normally. Export operations continue in full," Al-Naimi said in a statement. A statement from the Interior Ministry said the attack occurred when two cars were trying to enter the oil refinery from one of the side gates. When security men challenged them, an exchange of fire between them and the officers broke out. The vehicles exploded near the entrance. No damage occurred to the oil refinery and there was no effect on oil production. A small fire broke out as a result of the explosion, but it was quickly dealt with," the statement said. Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki said the number of terrorist cars involved in the attack was two, not the three cited in some reports. Asked whether the Interior Ministry has been able to identify the attackers, he said: "The procedure will take time. We have gathered evidence from the scene and it will be sent for analysis. There are also security measures that need to take place in the investigation. Only when the results come in can we determine who the perpetrators were and identify them." The attack was the first by terrorists in the Kingdom targeting an oil refinery. Last year, Al-Naimi said security at oil refineries in the Kingdom was foolproof. The Abqaiq facility is the world's largest, producing some nine million barrels of crude oil per day. Analysts said the success in foiling the attack showed the Kingdom's security measures are solid enough to protect supplies from the world's top oil exporter. "The events of today are another indication of how tight and impenetrable the existing Saudi security system is at the main petroleum infrastructure around the country," Saudi security and oil adviser Nawaf Obaid said. "To have a successful attack at such a facility is very remote," he said, adding that the operation was a "desperate mission" because there was no way they could hit their target. Saudi Aramco declined to comment about the incident, but reiterated that it had solid security measures in place. Security forces use helicopters and patrol boats in addition to fences, cameras and motion detectors. Aramco has said it has backup systems in place and the operational flexibility to ensure that the Kingdom could continue to produce oil and gas without interruption, even if an entire facility was taken offline, for whatever reason. Oil futures for April delivery jumped more than $2 after news of the attack triggered worries about supply from the world's top crude producer. "It's all about perception. Just the idea of an attack in Saudi Arabia is enough to make the market jumpy," said Glenn Murray, an oil broker at GM Oil. Most Saudi oil is exported from the Gulf via Abqaiq, which handles about two thirds of the country's output. US crude prices hit a high of $62.85 a barrel, up $2.31. They later eased back to $62.60 at 1537 GMT. London Brent was up $1.87 at $62.41 a barrel. US blue chip stocks edged lower after the surge in oil price, which revived worries about high energy costs and inflation. The two cars used in the attack had been disguised to look like ARAMCO vehicles, enabling the terrorists to enter the complex. But the tight security around the oil plant foiled their plans and the guards did not allow them to enter. The terrorists then shot at the security guards and exploded their cars. Thirteen Security guards were injured and were taken to hospital for treatment In exclusive statements to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Lieutenant Mansour Al-Turki, Interior Ministry spokesman, said that it was difficult to tell how many terrorists had participate in the failed attack as their bodies were blown to pieces when the cars they were driving exploded. He added that two guards were critically wounded. He stressed that the operation was a criminal and cowardly act that was thwarted because of the alertness of the security services. Al-Naimi, the oil minister, said that ARAMCO employees were able to foil the suicide attack on the refinery and indicated that a small controlled fire had erupted as result of the explosion but would not affect oil or gas production." The Abqaiq facility processes about 5-7 million barrels a day. Of this production, 93% is for export, so it is loaded directly into oceangoing tankers, the remainder being used for local consumption. Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the foiled attack on the world's largest oil processing facility at Abqaiq in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. In a statement posted on a website often used by Al-Qaeda, the terror network claimed responsibility for the attack. The deviant group also threatened to carry out more attacks on oil refineries in the country. Osama Bin Laden, the Al-Qaeda leader, urged his supporters a year ago to target Gulf oil facilities. Al-Qaeda said two of its members had carried out the operation. The statement named the attackers as Mohammed Al-Ghaith and Abdullah Al-Tuwaijri both on a list of top wanted militants and said the attack was within the framework of efforts by Al-Qaeda. The terrorists were prevented from breaking through one of the side gates when guards opened fire on them. The vehicles exploded, resulting in the deaths of the two attackers and serious injuries to two security guards. The two guards later died of their wounds in hospital, said Interior Ministry officials. According to officials, the attackers were not first identified. "We will publish their names as soon as we have identified them," said Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki. "Investigations are under way and evidence is being gathered from the scene. Additional security measures have also been put into place. The ministry is investigating Al-Qaeda's claim of responsibility and the attackers' link to the deviant group," said the spokesman. Deputy Governor of the Eastern Province Prince Jalawi Ibn Abdul Aziz Ibn Musaed attended the funeral prayer for the police officers. Prince Jalawi and Prince Muhammad Ibn Naif, assistant interior minister for security affairs, conveyed the condolences of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General, Interior Minister Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz and Prince Ahmed Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Interior Minister to the families of the dead officers. Prince Jalawi and Prince Muhammad praised the two officers for sacrificing their lives while defending their country. The two princes then inspected the site of the scene. The princes also visited the injured at King Fahd Military Medical Complex. They reassured at Dhahran-based King Fahd Military Medical Complex about the two security men injured in the incident. They conveyed to them the greetings of the leadership, praising their sacrifices for the country and their confrontation with evil doers. The Kingdom has received international accolades for its efforts in combating terrorism and for successfully foiling Friday's attack which pushed the price of crude oil up by $2 a barrel. The American ambassador to the Kingdom, James C. Oberwetter, said in a statement that Saudi security services had successfully prevented a terrorist attack on the Saudi Aramco oil facility at Abqaiq. "I visited that facility on two earlier occasions, and I know first hand the robust security systems that are in place there," the ambassador said. "When they were needed, the systems worked, and the facility at Abqaiq was fully protected. The Saudi government and Saudi Aramco deserve considerable credit for what they have done in recent years to enhance the security of oil facilities throughout the Kingdom," Oberwetter said. GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al-Attiya condemned the terrorist act and praised Saudi police for foiling the attack. The Muslim World League (MWL) also condemned the attack. Describing it as an attack on the Saudi people, MWL Secretary-General Abdullah Al-Turki said that the attack assured the public that the deviants have targeted the welfare of the citizens of Saudi Arabia. He praised the Kingdom's security preparations and its quick response to the attack. The prospect of an attack on Saudi oil facilities and installations has been a cause of deep concern to nations reliant on Saudi oil which are one-sixth of the world's exports or 7.5 million barrels a day. The Eastern Province witnessed a three-day gunbattle when Saudi security forces stormed a major Al-Qaeda hide-out in Dammam on Sept. 6, killing five terrorists. Four security men were also killed in the operation and 10 others wounded. The confrontation began after a shootout on Prince Muhammad Ibn Fahd Street (just outside Panda supermarket) and ended with the storming of the terrorist hide-out in the Al-Hamra district. The Interior Ministry said that preliminary DNA tests of the two bombers who died in a suicide attack on the Abqaiq refinery showed that they were members of the "deviant group." The two were named as Muhammad Al-Gaith and Abdullah Al-Tuwaijri. Both were on a government list of 36 most wanted terror suspects and each drove one of the two destroyed vehicles. The attack, according to a ministry source, was carried out using two white pickup trucks. Each carried in excess of a ton of Ammonite plus RDX and ITN. Further details of the materials used, said the source, would not be released for security reasons. Police are still investigating and they expect to release more details of other aspects of the attack in due course. On Friday, the men attempted to penetrate the world's largest oil-processing facility at Abqaiq, in the Eastern Province, but their attack was foiled. Two security men were fatally injured during an exchange of fire with the terrorists. Of the 36 wanted men, 22 remain at large. Authorities said when the list was released last June that 21 of those named were believed to be outside the country. The Shoura Council praised the efforts by Saudi police in foiling the terrorist attempt that targeted the Abqaiq refinery. Opening the session, Council President Saleh Al-Malik said the Council condemned the attack. "The attack targeted both the Kingdom's economy and the international economy." He said the Council realized that such attacks would only serve the enemy and "those who hate to see the people of the country uniting with their leaders." The insurgents were targeting the country's security and attempting to disturb peace and security. Praising the police, Al-Malik said it was because of the alertness and courage of the police that the terrorist plans were not carried out. "The Council stands in solidarity with the government against the deviant group and is determined that their ideology is eliminated and rooted out from the country." The Council stressed the shared responsibility of citizens and residents of the Kingdom in facing terrorist groups and those that support and harbor them. In a statement posted on the Internet, Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia vowed more attacks. Last Friday's attack was the first direct strike on a Saudi energy target since Al-Qaeda launched attacks inside the Kingdom in 2003. Saudi Aramco officials called for an urgent meeting with all of the company engineers and intelligent experts to assess the causes and results of the terrorist attack that targeted the world's largest oil processing facility responsible for two thirds of the Kingdom production. Security measures have been further tightened at the Abqaiq oil processing plant. In place now are three major layers of security checkpoints. The first checkpoint is stationed before entering Abqaiq City. This is controlled by Saudi police force, which inspects all incoming and outgoing vehicles. The second checkpoint, which is manned by heavily armed Saudi Special Forces with armoured vehicles fitted with high caliber guns, is at the gates leading to Abqaiq plant and the Saudi Aramco community, which includes housing complexes of employees. The third checkpoint is laid at the gate that leads to the Abqaiq processing facilities and under the control of combined security forces, including company security forces. The checkpoints at the gates leading to the Abqaiq plants and Saudi Aramco community are the latest and have been installed last week, a Saudi Aramco source said. All employees and members of the community are inspected at the gates without exception. The security is indeed very tight and everybody is complying without hesitation. Employees of construction and contracting companies under job contract with Saudi Aramco are also subjected to tight security measures. Their vehicles are checked, their IDs and Iqamas are verified, and all their equipments they bring inside the plants are thoroughly inspected, the source said. There is no double standard now in the inspection, even the big bosses and, whoever they are, are subjected to close scrutiny. Inside Abqaiq City itself, there are also checkpoints. Those facilities in addition to thousands of hidden cameras that spot and record each single movement makes it really difficult for any one either from inside or outside the establishments to target it, a Saudi Aramco source told The Saudi Gazette. He said that terrorists can never reach the bottlenecks of the refineries as they are surrounded by a 10-km wide area of several layers of shields and protection measures. Saudi Aramco boasts of very sophisticated and highly advanced security facilities. The company's Oil Supply Planning and Scheduling (OSPAS) Department is the heart of the company s security measure. OSPAS has state-of-the-art wall that displays in a global format any problems before they reach a critical condition and pinpoints vital information during field emergency situations. OSPAS, which is located in Dhahran headquarters, can shutdown any operations of the various facilities of the company during critical emergencies through a push-button process. All the facilities of the company, including processing plants and refineries, are equipped with similar emergency systems. Saudi Aramco security forces are also trained to detect individuals, their appearances, and the kind of equipment or vehicles they drive. When the terrorists riding in pickup with the company logo entered the gate of the Abqaiq plant, the security officers immediately detected that something was wrong and unusual. They (the terrorists) were not familiar with the technical terminologies of the company and inquiries of the guards and their vehicles appeared heavy with loads. When the terrorists were challenged, they sped inside the plant and started shooting, the source said. The high technology of putting off industrial fires, the source said, could easily master the situation. It was because of this high technology that the fire which resulted form gunfight between terrorists and security men was put off. At the same time, he added, the flow of oil and gas was shifted to the emergency pipelines that contributed in keeping the production at the same level as it was before the attack. Saudi Aramco CEO Abdullah Jumah has said that there is nowhere in the world that oil facilities are protected as well as in Saudi Arabia. He said the company employs 5,000 security guards, in addition to the Saudi National Guard, regular Saudi military forces, and Interior Ministry officers who are tasked with protecting oilfields, pipelines ports, refineries, and other oil facilities. The government had also added $750 million to its security budget over the past two years to beef up security in the oil sector. In 2003 the Kingdom spent $5.5 billion on oil security. Known locally as Baqiq, and the site of one of Saudi Arabia's main oilfields, Abqaiq is 35 kilometers (20 miles) south of Dammam, the main city of the Eastern Province, and about the same distance from the oil hub of Dhahran. The Abqaiq plant accounts for 10 percent of the world s daily oil output and 70 percent of Saudi Arabia s sustained production of around 9.5 million barrels per day. Most Saudi oil is exported from the Gulf via the huge Abqaiq producing, pumping and processing facility. Most Saudi oil is exported from the Gulf via the huge Abqaiq producing, pumping and processing facility. Just a day after terrorists attempted to storm the Abqaiq oil facility, security forces arrested 12 suspects from a farm in the Daghareer village of southern Samita district in Jizan. According to reports in a section of the Arabic press, two of the suspects were injured in the gunfight. They were taken to the Samita General Hospital. The Saudi security forces had to siege the farm so that no one could escape. Schools in the area were closed due to security reasons and to safeguard the students and employees. However, Ministry of Interior Spokesman Brig. Mansour Al-Turki said that the arrested people were found to be Iqama violators. The ministry's confirmation came as relief to the residents of the area who were panicky after some Arabic newspapers reported that the suspects had sneaked into the Kingdom from Yemen. Earlier this month 23 prisoners some of them having Al-Qaeda links escaped from a jail in Sanaa. But three of 23 suspected Al-Qaeda militants surrendered last Sunday. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh told Al-Hayat Arabic daily that the remainder had not crossed the border. So far three (have turned themselves in), and there are contacts with the remainder, who are inside (the country) ... They have not left Yemen, he said. The Yemeni government has offered a reward of more than $25,000 for information that could lead to the capture of any of the suspected Al-Qaeda militants who broke out of a Sanaa prison on Feb. 3. They included Jamal Badawi who was serving a 15-year sentence for the 2000 bombing of the destroyer USS Cole off the southern port of Aden. There have been many past cases when the Saudi security forces regularly arrested Yemenis trying to push their ways into the Kingdom. The border guards have caught large quantities of explosives, arms, drugs and alcohol being smuggled from Yemen through the southern part of Saudi Arabia. Saudi security forces have been on high alert ever since the Yemen jail break. Three suspects were arrested in Al-Ammariah Area, 30 kilometers northwest of Riyadh, after security authorities received a report on four people in Pakistani dress. Four submachine guns, two pistols and two hunting rifles were also seized, Al-Hayat Arabic language daily reported. The security authorities cordoned off the Al-Ammariah area and the villages surrounding it after receiving a tip-off. Checkpoints were set up to prevent the escape of the suspects. After the arrests, a resthouse was raided. The security forces inspected the location and withdrew from the site after five hours. Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, official spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said, the security authorities carried out a programmed security campaign in Al-Ammariah Area. The security authorities in Al-Qassim Region have started a search and investigations to get to the source of suspicious CDs distributed to a number of teachers and students of a Qur an memorization school in Al-Mudhnib Governorate. At the end of school hours, a number of teachers and students of the Quran memorization school found computer CDs placed on their front car windshields. They informed the school headmaster who in turn collected these CDs and opened them in the school computer. The CD supported terrorist acts. After collecting all the CDs, the headmaster handed them over to the Education Supervision Center in Al-Mudhnib, which in turn handed them over to the security authorities. It is noteworthy that Al-Mudhnib Governorate witnessed the latest terrorist operation in which five security men were killed and two major terrorist elements, namely Mohammed Al-Suwailim and Abdul Aziz Al-Miteb were also killed.