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To: Oeconomicus who wrote (157308)	5/15/2003 10:59:51 PM
From: GST	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 164684

The new face of terror unveiled By Syed Saleem Shahzad KARACHI - The first and deadly strike of the International Islamic Front of Osama bin Laden since its restructuring will be a setback for the Saudi monarchy and could force them to back off from any US-sponsored peace formula for the Middle East. At the same time, more attacks can be expected, particularly in Egypt, as with Saudi Arabia, in an attempt to drive a wedge between that country and the US over the US peace initiative in the Middle East. The three simultaneous bombings in housing compounds for foreigners in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Monday night left at least 29 people dead - seven of them Americans - according to the Saudi Interior Ministry, as well as the nine suicide car bombers. Last week the Saudi police seized a huge stash of explosives, weapons and cash following a shootout with suspected terrorists in the capital. The Interior Ministry said the police were hunting "19 terrorists, 17 of them Saudis" who "intended to carry out acts of terrorism". Al-Majallah, a sister publication of the Arab News, citing an email message from a newly-appointed al-Qaeda spokesman, Thabet ibn Qais, said last week that "an attack against America was inevitable". Al-Qaeda has "carried out changes in its leadership and sidelined the September 11, 2001 team", the magazine quoted Thabet as saying. "Future missions have been entrusted to the new team, which is well protected against the US intelligence services," the magazine quoted Thabet as saying. "The old leadership does not know the names of any of its members." Asia Times Online clearly outlined earlier this month (Afghanistan: Launchpad for terror ) that bin Laden's International Islamic Front, a grouping of al-Qaeda and several other terrorist networks, has restructured and that the driver of this new international brigade is the Egyptian Jamaat al-Jehad, led by Dr Aiman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden's right hand man. (This group merged with al-Qaeda, but it has an independent following in Egypt). The article pointed out that Jamaat's leaders have redirected the energies of militants to concentrate purely on US targets, saying that it is the real enemy. It also pointed out that the network would operate with a new team and new name and would strike on US interests sooner rather than later. Monday's attacks will place the ruling monarchy in Saudi Arabia under intense pressure, and the political structure of the kingdom is such that it will have to take action on any new demands that extremists might make. In 1980, a group of Islamic hardlines rebelled against the Saudi monarchy. The rebellion was crashed and the dissidents executed. But subsequently the monarchy met their demands and implemented more strict Islamic rules in the country. Saudi Arabia has in the past been the victim of terror attacks to force the leadership to sever its ties with the US . In November 1995, five Americans and two Indians were killed and 60 people injured in an explosion in a car park near a US-run military training center in Riyadh. In June 1996, a bomb in a fuel truck killed 19 American soldiers and wounded nearly 400 people at a US military housing complex in Alkhobar. A US troop withdrawal from Saudi Arabia has been one of the main demands of al-Qaeda and bin Laden. The US said on April 29 that it was ending military operations in the kingdom and removing virtually all of its forces (currently about 10,000)by next month. Once they are gone, the hardliners can be expected to step up their demands, possibly for stronger anti-West policies, or even complete chaos in society. Saudi Arabia has claimed recently that it had successfully broken severel al-Qaeda cells in the country and arrested over 300 people, the reality appears to be different. Although specific social and political factors make Saudi Arabia vulnerable to hardliners, at present, the entire Arab world is passing through a difficlt stage, and even secular and relatively liberal Egypt is no exception, where the Muslim Brotherhood is enjoying a new lease of life following the fall of Baghdad. For the first time in many decades, hundreds of thousands of people have welcomed or attended the Brotherhood's country-wide demonstrations denouncing those Arab states with pro-US policies. Egypt is considered the closest US ally in the Middle East (aside from Israel)and the second largest recipient of US aid after Israel. Terror attacks on its soil could force the government to seriously reconsider this position. Copyright 2003 Asia Times Online Co, Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact content@atimes.com for information on our sales and syndication policies.) atimes.com