Al Qaeda adopts new tactics: assassinations will replace bombings
Riyad (AsiaNews) Recent terrorist attacks against foreign people make experts reconsider their analysis about Al Qaeda's modus operandi in Saudi Arabia. In the video that shows Paul Johnson, the American citizen held captive by the terrorists, Abdel Aziz al-Muqrin introduces himself as the leader of the terrorist organisation in Saudi Arabia. Al Muqrin succeeds to the Yemenite terrorist Khaled Ali al Haj, who died in March killed by the Saudi police.
According to Peter Zehian, an analyst from Stratford, Zeihan is the author of the new strategy Al Qaeda has adopted in Saudi Arabia. This change follows many suicide attacks, including the al-Muhaya massacre. The attack took place on November 8th, 2003. The blast killed 17 people and injured 122. Many casualties were Saudi civilians. This attack caused indignation not only in the Western world, but also in the Arab countries. Probably, this is why the terrorist organisation has decided to modify its tactics.
In order to gain the support, or at least the indifference, of Saudi people, Al Qaeda has focused its attention exclusively on foreign people. Unfortunately, there are 6 million foreigners in the country and they are neither integrated into Saudi society, nor protected at all by the authorities. This new strategy was adopted in the recent attack in Al Khobar, which took place on May 31st. Terrorists killed 22 people and 19 of them were foreigners.
Peter Zehian also affirms that Al Qaeda is trying to gain control of oil wells in order to strangle Western economy. In order to achieve this goal, terrorists must de-legitimize the Saud family and gain the support of the population. According to Zeihan, terrorism already affects the cost of oil by $ 8 per barrel.
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