Explosions at Riyadh

[The Yankee]

Article pulled off CNN.com

(CNN) -- Three loud explosions rocked an affluent residential neighborhood in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, one day after the U.S. Embassy announced it would close temporarily over concerns of rising terror threats.

As many as 28 people were killed and 100 wounded -- many of them children -- in the compound where the blasts were centered, diplomatic sources told journalists.

At least two dozen ambulances rushed to the Al-Muhaya compound -- villas housing several hundred residents -- where a large plume of smoke was seen, journalists said.

No U.S. government officials live in the compound -- which lies about three miles from the U.S. Embassy in western Riyadh. The State Department does not believe any Americans were involved, sources said.

Hanadi Fundouqli, manager of the Al-Muhaya compound, said all but four of the residents are Arabs. The four are from Italy, Germany, and France, she said.

Saudi business sources told CNN the compound was about a mile from the homes of several top members of Saudi Arabia's ruling family.

The explosions happened at a time when many of the adult residents were away from their homes because of the Ramadan observances, leaving a large number of children in the compound, Fundouqli said.

Raid Qusti, Riyadh bureau chief for the Arab News daily newspaper, said he heard the blast, then ambulance and police sirens. He added that witnesses reported hearing gunfire before the explosion.


The U.S. Embassy and consulates in Saudi Arabia said Friday that they would be closed Saturday to at least Monday because of concerns that terrorists were planning an attack in the kingdom.

An advisory released Friday by the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh said the embassy "continues to receive credible information that terrorists in Saudi Arabia have moved from the planning to operational phase of planned attacks in the kingdom."

Before the explosion Saturday, the British Embassy in Bahrain warned its personnel of the threat of a terror attack. Bahrain is an island nation in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia.

The U.S. State Department's closures affect the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran.

Saturday and Sunday are regular work days in Saudi Arabia.

Just despicable that they would target residential complexes. I hope that Arab opinion turns against them for killing so many Arabs and Muslims....figuring, of course, that this was done by Muslim terrorists.

 

[omichyron]

Originally posted by The Yankee

figuring, of course, that this was done by Muslim terrorists.

but why would we figure such a thing? I mean what do they have to gain from it? Saudi Arabia is one of their major supporters

 

[The Yankee]

And yet, there are increasing acts of terrorism there...as well as gun battles between the police and the terrorists that always seem to leave 5 police dead, 5 terrorists dead with 7 escaping.

 

[omichyron]

I'd say it makes much more logical sense to assume that if the Saudis are going to support terrorists in the US, the US is going to support terrorists in Arabia. The problems with this is 1) I have absolutely no evidence and it sounds like a fairly unlikely conspiracy theory 2) it sure wouldn't get them to reduce their own efforts to support terrorism.

unless I find some reason to believe that, I could say that maybe American pressure has forced the Saudis to cut terrorist funding and some angry terrorists are hitting back. but of course if their funding has been cut then spending more funds to hit back wouldn't make sense either.

so then most likely these terrorists are not Islamic fundamentalists and are not US supported. maybe they're fighting for their own rights within Saudi Arabia. who knows

 

[The Yankee]

I doubt it's American-backed terrorists. Besides, they would be too likely to spiral out of control and start attacking American targets.

And if they somehow are....some kind of reformists...they're not exactly helping their cause by killing off civilians.

It seems some people were exchanging gunfire with the guards shortly before the car bombing attack. A western diplomat has said between 20 and 30 people are dead. One American, possibly working for the government, is missing.

 

[omichyron]

I never said they were justified. just that I don't see why Islamic extremists would attack a target in Saudi Arabia.

 

[The Yankee]

Maybe less funding from the Saudis.....some members of the vast Saud royal family actually oppose them....the Saudi government and police have actually carried out a few raids against them at US request....there's still some US presence in Saudi Arabia. It's complicated, but if you look hard enough, this wouldn't surprise you.

 

[Norlamand]

Not that I support terrorism but it is nice to see the Saudi government have to deal with it for once. They have directly and indirectly funded it for so long that it is high time that it "come home to roost" as it were.
Moderator Action: warned, trolling. At CFC you do NOT exult over the victims of terrorism
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[The Yankee]

It's too bad it's claiming the lives of people who most likely have nothing to do with it. Target a palace of the Saud royal family instead.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

If I said that about September 11th, or the attacks in Bali, the mods would be deluged with pleas to ban me.

The conspicuous absence of Saudi members on this board doesn't stop what you posted from being a troll.

I notice that I'm the first poster in this thread to say that "my thoughts and condolences are with the victims", or whatever trite phrase you prefer... Let's hope this sends a wakeup call to the Sauds.

 

[Evie]

Are we sure the attack was even targetted at that? Or that this even was an attack?

Could be something as simple as a guy messing up while setting up his explosives for a later attack. It could also be a stupidly misaimed attack, of course.

I'm going to wait for more information before making up my own mind about this deal.

 

[The Yankee]

As I've said, it is too bad that the victims are most likely people that have had nothing to do with Saudi policy or terrorist policy....they've been caught in the crossfire. I would never wish death to come to innocent civilians. That's wrong no matter what the cause is, even if it is to try to pressure the royal family into allowing more freedoms.

And as I've said, if it somehow happens to be a pro-democracy movement, they just hurt their cause by doing such an act and it's hard to see people support them after they've killed their own civilian countrymen and women.

 

[Evie]

It's too bad who the victims are, true, but I remain unconvinced that it was an intended action, though that is a likely possibility as well. Change nothing to the fact that it's sad that people - kids - died, of course.Moderator Action: It is too bad WHOEVER the victims are
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[eyrei]

I don't think this article, or the information contained within is legitimate.

 

[Neomega]

Probably Al Qeada. Osama, I think is just as pissed at the Saudi Royal family as he is at the Americans.

 

[Lefty Scaevola]

Cleary terroist attack, likely Al-Qaeda. Ivasion attack by small group of armed men shoitung through a gaurd point, then a detonating a car bomb. Redsidential area for upper/middle class workers, mostly Saudis and Moslem foreingers. Object may be to to terroize the 6 million foreign workers upon which Saudi Arabia depends.

 

[Norlamand]

@Pilate

I was rather clear on the fact that I don't support or condone the acts. I just find it ironic that the Saudi government is now suffering the attacks that others have suffered for years.
As for saying something similar after 9-11, I wouldn't blame you for it. Indeed I had such thoughts cross my mind as well. Terrorism is terrorism. The sooner all people realize that there is no safe harbor from it the better. Only a broad, cooperative effort to erradicate all terrorist organizations will give us back a bit of peace of mind.