RIYADH // Suggesting that even al Qa'eda is "greying" a bit, authorities have rounded up an 11-member cell of suspected militants whose average age is 36, more than a decade older than the typical rank-and-file member of the terrorist organisation.
"It's not the usual young people," said Gen Mansour al Turki, a spokesman for the interior ministry. "The youngest is 27 and the oldest is 46."
The age of the 11 Saudis, who were alleged to have been planning to kill and kidnap security policemen, may be "a good sign because it means that al Qa'eda has lost ground in recruiting young people", Gen al Turki added.
The men were detained "one by one" at various times over several weeks in another indication of the security forces' increased vigilance for any sign of militant activity that has kept the kingdom immune from terrorist attacks since a 2006 foiled effort to blow up Abqaiq oil installation.
The recently detained cell was working with al Qa'eda contacts outside the kingdom, and authorities "don't exclude" the possibility that its planned attacks, mostly to occur in the south of the country, were to be "part of a bigger plan" organised by external operatives, Gen al Turki said.
One of those arrested had surrendered to the authorities a couple of years ago after his name appeared on a list of alleged extremists wanted by police. He was later released under a royal amnesty.
The group had planned to finance its activities through armed robberies, and had buried machine guns, shotguns, handguns and ammunition "in many different places", the spokesman said.
Saudi television broadcast images of policemen dragging buried arms from the hiding places.
Members of the group had also stashed food, weapons and video recording equipment in a cave near the remote and mountainous southern Saudi border with Yemen.
Saudi officials are concerned about al Qa'eda activity in Yemen, where a weak central government has only loose control over remote areas, permitting terrorist organisations to operate with impunity.
In late January, two Saudis who had previously been detained at Guantanamo showed up in an internet video declaring that they had joined an al Qa'eda affiliate in Yemen and were planning attacks against Saudi Arabia.
One of the two subsequently surrendered to Saudi authorities and is now imprisoned in the kingdom.
The Saudi government apparently has been fairly successful in breaking al Qa'eda's organisation in the kingdom, not only by portraying terrorism as a betrayal of one's country, but also through aggressive policing and sometimes pre-emptive detentions when future criminal activity is suspected.
In a sign of increased official determination to wipe out the Saudi wing of al Qa'eda, Saudi authorities released a list of 83 most-wanted Saudi extremists based outside the kingdom last February.
So far, three have either surrendered or been captured, Gen al Turki said.
cmurphy@thenational.ae
Company%20profile
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South and West: From a Notebook
Joan Didion
Fourth Estate
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Company%20Profile
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
THE CARD
2pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
2.30pm: Handicap Dh 76,000 (D) 1,400m
3pm: Handicap Dh 64,000 (D) 1,200m
3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m
4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m
4.30pm: Handicap 64,000 (D) 1,950m
Company%20Profile
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The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5