Saudi Arabia Braces for a Renewed Jihadist Threat

A spokesman for the Saudi Interior Ministry briefs on an attack by al Qaeda militants on July 5. (FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images)

Analysis

Days after reinforcing its borders with Iraq, Saudi Arabia has boosted security around critical facilities countrywide. This is in part a response to the deteriorating situation in Iraq and in part based on intelligence that the kingdom itself is at risk of terrorist attack. Riyadh is hardening strategic domestic infrastructure and energy sites that might be within the reach of terrorists linked to the Islamic State transnational jihadist organization. This security posturing reflects the inherent risks posed by Saudi Arabia's erstwhile strategy of using regional militant groups to target Iranian and Shiite interests.

A July 18 report from a Saudi-owned news agency revealed a plot to hit petroleum facilities, desalination plants, government buildings and other potential targets in Saudi Arabia. The report was apparently based on leaked intelligence, founded on a warning sent by a Saudi national in the Islamic State to his family in Riyadh, warning them of future bombings there. Riyadh's main concern about the Islamic State to the north is that it is an emerging second jihadist front. An unstable Yemen to the south has been a persistent threat, acting as a refuge and incubator for regionally displaced al Qaeda cells. The Islamic State warning follows the detention of around 60 al Qaeda-affiliated jihadists in May and reinforces why the kingdom is particularly sensitive to such threats.

Although the leaked report could be a deliberate attempt at misinformation by the Islamic State's sophisticated information operations cell, Riyadh cannot afford to disregard it as such. Saudi Arabia has taken significant steps to insulate itself from nearby geo-strategic and terrorist threats, but with the possibility of al Qaeda terrorists penetrating from the south and Islamic State operatives infiltrating from the north, Riyadh's anxiety appears justified. Beyond co-opting existing al Qaeda franchises in Yemen, Islamic State is able to exploit its own organic network of Saudis, who fought with and funded the organization in Syria. Having access to this nexus gives Islamic State the ability to reach into Saudi Arabia's heartland, which is a cause of great concern for Riyadh.

Comments

Why States Still Use Barrel Bombs

Smoke ascends after a Syrian military helicopter allegedly dropped a barrel bomb over the city of Daraya on Jan. 31.(FADI DIRANI/AFP/Getty Images) Summary Barrel bombs are not especially effective weapons. They are often poorly constructed; they fail to detonate more often than other devices constructed for a similar purpose; and their lack of precision means they can have a disproportionate effect on civilian populations. However, combatants continue to use barrel bombs in conflicts, including in recent and ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and they are ideally suited to the requirements of resource-poor states. Analysis Barrel bombs are improvised devices that contain explosive filling and shrapnel packed into a container, often in a cylindrical shape such as a barrel. The devices continue to be dropped on towns all over Syria . Indeed, there have been several documented cases of their use in Iraq over the past months, and residents of the city of Mosul, which was re

Russia Looks East for New Oil Markets

Click to Enlarge In the final years of the Soviet Union, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began orienting his foreign policy toward Asia in response to a rising Japan. Putin has also piloted a much-touted pivot to Asia, coinciding with renewed U.S. interest in the area. A good expression of intent was Russia's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2012 in Vladivostok, near Russia's borders with China and North Korea. Although its efforts in Asia have been limited by more direct interests in Russia's periphery and in Europe, Moscow recently has been able to look more to the east. Part of this renewed interest involves finding new export markets for Russian hydrocarbons. Russia's economy relies on energy exports, particularly crude oil and natural gas exported via pipeline to the West. However, Western Europe is diversifying its energy sources as new supplies come online out of a desire to reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies . This has

LONDON POLICE INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGE CRIMINALS TO ATTACK RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC PROPERTY

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE A few days ago an unknown perpetrator trespassed on the territory of the Russian Trade Delegation in London, causing damage to the property and the vehicles belonging to the trade delegation , Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during the September 12 press briefing. The diplomat revealed the response by the London police was discouraging. Police told that the case does not have any prospects and is likely to be closed. This was made despite the fact that the British law enforcement was provided with video surveillance tapes and detailed information shedding light on the incident. By this byehavior, British law inforcements indirectly encourage criminals to continue attacks on Russian diplomatic property in the UK. Zakharova’s statement on “Trespassing on the Russian Trade Mission premises in London” ( source ): During our briefings, we have repeatedly discussed compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, specif

ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Search This Blog