Saudi Arabia puts 50 al Qaeda suspects on trial

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

JEDDAH | Sun Apr 8, 2012 11:22am EDT

(Reuters) - Fifty men suspected of links to al Qaeda have gone on trial in Saudi Arabia on charges of killing an American and attacking foreign housing compounds in the capital and in the Eastern Province, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.

The report said five of the suspects had appeared at a special court in the capital Riyadh on Saturday, facing charges including the 2003 bombing of the al-Muhaya compound, where expatriates lived, and planning attacks on the U.S. and British embassies in Saudi Arabia.

Of the defendants, 47 are Saudi, two are Syrian and one is Yemeni, SPA said late on Saturday.

Saudi Arabia saw a militant insurgency from 2003 to 2006 in which al Qaeda members staged attacks on residential compounds for foreign workers and Saudi government facilities, killing dozens.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/08/us-saudi-trial-idUSBRE83709H20120408

[IamK]

1. heads will roll.... n/t

[ChazInAz]

2. About time.

I suspect some pressure has been applied to the PTB in Saud to clean up their acts and take responsibility for the part their kingdom has played in creating a powder keg.

[JDPriestly]

3. It took revolutions in how many countries to bring Saudi Arabia to its senses.

Or is that really what happened?

Who knows?

Saudi Arabia is a mysterious place it seems to me. Perhaps I am mistaken, but isn't their social system about as developed as Europe in the Dark Ages?

[yurbud]

11. I think Saudi uses ''al Qaeda'' exactly the way our government does:

whatever the real threat is from the group, any time something threatens the power of the state, it gets the ''al Qaeda'' label.

[SemperEadem]

4. wow... and it's not a show trial?

should make doings in SA quite interesting in the foreseeable future.

[Spacedog1973]

5. At least they aren't afraid to put suspected terrorists on trial

[Botany]

7. I really doubt it will be an open and fair trial

n/t

[Botany]

6. How about the bush Family/bin Laden Family/al Qaeda /Taliban/Saudi Royal Family Connections?

It Taliban leaders were in the USA in late spring summer 2001 under the
protection of bush Inc. The wife of the US ambassador from Saudi Arabia
payed for the room and upkeep of 3 of the 9/11 hijackers ...... please let the
truth come out.

[NCcoast]

8. 50.... in one trial

I can see where this is going.

[onehandle]

9. Sorry. Can't finance 9/11 and then pretend this makes a difference.

Saudi Royal Family, your time will come.

[starfox172]

10. how about we arrest and put the bush family on trial?!

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

12. Another sham

There are plenty of al Qaeda sympathizers who are knee deep in that government.

[Mopar151]

13. How many are Shi'ia Muslims?

The Iraqui Sunni Muslims and the Saudi Wahidi Muslims both have long histories of supressing their Shi'ia brethren. And would have no problems with making them "jihad fodder" and then throwing them under the camel.