THE attempted assassination of Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef might have turned towards another direction — completely different from reality — if it occurred in another country. However, the wisdom of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has put the incident within its natural frame. It also paved the way for the Kingdom to prove its ability to handle sensitive issues judiciously, away from the media. Such discretion has allowed the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to visit the deputy interior minister clandestinely. A dialogue between the two officials has conveyed a clear message to all and sundry, especially those who want to play with the Kingdom’s security, that the leadership is keen on ensuring the safety of the country and its people.
Undoubtedly, the attempted assassination of Prince Nayef is a clear indication that the measures taken by Saudi Arabia against a terrorist group, which has been impeding efforts to stabilize and develop this big Islamic country, had yielded positive results. This only means that the anti-terrorism strategy of the Kingdom is better than those implemented in other countries. The underlying message of King Abdullah’s visit to Prince Nayef is not only directed to the errant group or those who have been trying to destabilize the Kingdom, but all the other countries and terror cells. The security of Saudi Arabia is linked to that of the GCC, as well as the Arab and Islamic world, since the Kingdom plays a crucial role in this regard, particularly issues concerning sacred Islamic places. The leadership usually follows up security issues through an integrated strategy.
Also, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has been taking measures to develop the educational sector since 2005 to eliminate ignorance and illiteracy, in addition to enhancing the skills of national manpower. It is the only Arab country which has allocated the highest percentage of its national income for scientific research in accordance with a comprehensive development plan to address all the issues that the terrorist groups might use in their propaganda.
Furthermore, the Kingdom has not allowed the citizens to suffer the consequences of its war against terrorism. Daily activities in cities and villages went on smoothly, without any hint of the ongoing war against those propagating distorted ideologies. The government found ingenious ways to handle various issues, particularly those related to the security of the Kingdom, away from the public’s eyes.
Once again, the astute and innovative policy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has affirmed the role of Saudi Arabia in ensuring the safety and stability of the region. The Kingdom supported Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion in 1990. It has never relented in its efforts to maintain peace and stability in the GCC and neighboring countries. It is fully prepared to confront attempts to attack any country in the region.
It will exhaust all means to defend the rights of Gulf and Arab countries, in the same manner that it has utilized its economic, human, social, political and military assets to protect the welfare of Kuwait. Some members of the terrorist group thought of taking revenge against the deputy interior minister as the latter has busted a number of terrorist cells. Nevertheless, the initiative of King Abdulaziz to personally check the health condition of the deputy interior minister after the assassination attempt only proves that the wicked schemes of the terrorist groups will not succeed, because the Kingdom is not a venue for weak terrorists to wreak havoc in the region.
Email: ahmed@aljarallah.com
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times