US praises Saudi antiterror efforts
WASHINGTON -- The United States praised Saudi Arabia yesterday for "unprecedented" counterterrorism work, an effort spurred by deadly attacks last year in the capital of the world's largest oil exporter.
In its annual "Patterns of Global Terrorism" report, the State Department emphasized Saudi actions to crack down on Saudi-born Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network, which is blamed for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
The assessment contrasted with tepid comments in the previous year's report that Saudi Arabia had "continued to provide support for the war on terror" and earlier private complaints by US officials that Riyadh was not doing enough.
Suicide bombers attacked residential compounds in Riyadh on May 12 and killed at least 35 people, including nine US citizens, and again on Nov. 9, killing 18 people.
"The terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia . . . galvanized Riyadh into launching a sustained crackdown against Al Qaeda's presence in the kingdom and spurred an unprecedented level of cooperation with the United States," the report said.
"Riyadh has aggressively attacked Al Qaeda's operational and support network in Saudi Arabia and detained or killed . . . prominent operatives and financial facilitators," it added.
The State Department report assesses "terrorism" around the world and lists seven nations -- Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria -- as state sponsors of such violence.
Iraq is still cited despite the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein last year because there is no new government in place to renounce terrorism formally.
Being on the list subjects the seven to sanctions, including a ban on US arms exports, controls on items with military and civilian uses, and restrictions on US economic aid.
The State Department said the Nov. 9, 2003, attack in Riyadh, which occurred during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, had "transformed Saudi public acceptance of the widespread nature of the threat in the kingdom."
"This acceptance has facilitated increased security and counterterrorism efforts by the Saudi government," it said.
