TFUS01: SAUDI REACTION TO SEPTEMBER 11

UNCLAS RIYADH 002627

E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER SA
SUBJECT: TFUS01: SAUDI REACTION TO SEPTEMBER 11
TERRORIST ATTACKS

REF: RIYADH 2620

OFFICIAL SAG REACTION
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1. ON THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 11, THE SAUDI
GOVERNMENT ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT (UNOFFICIAL
TRANSLATION):

THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA EXPRESSES ITS CONDEMNATION
OF THE REGRETTABLE AND INHUMAN EXPLOSIONS AND ATTACKS
WHICH OCCURRED AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN NEW YORK
AND THE PENTAGON IN WASHINGTON IN THE U.S.A. THE
KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA STRONGLY CONDEMNS ACTS SUCH AS
THESE WHICH ARE IN CONFLICT WITH ALL RELIGIOUS VALUES
AND SOCIAL AND HUMAN UNDERSTANDING. THE KINGDOM
OFFERS ITS SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILIES OF THE
VICTIMS, TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, AND TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE. THE KINGDOM REITERATES ITS
CONDEMNATION OF TERRORISM AND WILL CONTINUE TO ACT
ALONG WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO COMBAT
TERRORISM IN ALL OF ITS FORMS.


2. SAUDI MEDIA COVERAGE WILL BE REPORTED SEPTEL, BUT
THE STORY DOMINATES WITH A SOMBER EDITORIAL TONE
EXPRESSING SHOCK, GLOOM, SADNESS AND DEPRESSION.

PUBLIC REACTION
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3. MOVING ABOUT RIYADH ON THE NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 11,
POLOFF OBSERVED A BEEFED-UP SAG SECURITY PRESENCE,
PARTICULARLY AROUND THE DIPLOMATIC QUARTER. LOCAL
STORES WERE BUSY, THOUGH FEW WESTERN EXPATS WERE
SHOPPING. POLOFF HAD SEVERAL CHANCE ENCOUNTERS WITH
SAUDIS AND NON-WESTERN EXPATS, ALL OF WHOM EXPRESSED
CONDOLENCES AND OFFERED SYMPATHY. AN ENCOUNTER
OUTSIDE OF A LARGE SHOPPING MALL WAS REPRESENTATIVE.
A GROUP OF FOUR THIRTY-ISH SAUDI MALES EXPRESSED
CONDOLENCES, THEN ONE COMMENTED THAT HE WAS CONCERNED
ABOUT FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS, ESPECIALLY REGARDING WHAT
HE FELT WOULD BE AN INEVITABLE BACKLASH AGAINST ARABS
AND MUSLIMS. ANOTHER SAID THAT THIS TYPE OF ACTION
WAS UNCALLED FOR IN ANY SITUATION AND ASSERTED THAT
"TRUE MUSLIMS" WOULD NOT HESITATE IN CONDEMNING THE
ACTION. STILL, THEY SAID, THE ONGOING INTIFADA IN THE
PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES HAD CREATED A GREAT DEAL OF
RANCOR TOWARDS THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT. THEY IMPLIED
THAT THE U.S. SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED A RESPONSE TO THE
GROWING TENSION GIVEN ALL THE WARNINGS SENT FROM THE
ARAB WORLD ABOUT THE DETERIORATING SITUATION. WHILE
IN NO WAY JUSTIFYING THE ATTACKS OR SHOWING ANY
SATISFACTION, THE MESSAGE WAS CLEAR: "WE TOLD YOU SO."


4. SHORTLY AFTER NEWS OF THE ATTACKS WAS BROADCAST ON
LOCAL MEDIA, AN AMCIT EXECUTIVE AT A LARGE SAUDI
COMPANY REPORTED THAT HIS SAUDI COLLEAGUES AND
SUBORDINATES REACTED WITH MIXED EMOTIONS: SOME
EXPRESSED SHOCK AND SYMPATHY, OTHERS REACTED WITH
GRATIFICATION THAT "AMERICA IS FEELING PAIN," WHILE
STILL OTHERS VOICED CONCERN THAT THE INCIDENTS MIGHT
SOMEHOW INTERFERE WITH THE U.S. VISA ISSUANCE PROCESS
AND THEIR FUTURE TRAVEL TO THE U.S.


5. ANOTHER CONTACT WHO HAS BEEN CLOSELY MONITORING
PAN-ARAB SATELLITE VERNACULAR NEWS COVERAGE AND
ARABIC-LANGUAGE INTERNET MESSAGE BOARDS STATED THAT
SAUDIS AND OTHER ARABS ARE GINNING UP NUMEROUS
CONSPIRACY THEORIES WHICH ATTRIBUTE RESPONSIBILITY FOR
THE ATTACKS TO VIRTUALLY EVERYONE EXCEPT ARABS (MOSSAD
AGENTS, MILOSEVIC-SUPPORTING YUGOSLAVS, AND UNDERLINGS
OF A RECENTLY-EXTRADITED COLOMBIAN DRUG LORD ARE THE
PRIME SUSPECTS). A NUMBER OF APPARENTLY INACCURATE
REPORTS (E.G. EXPLOSION AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT,
DELIBERATE USG SHOOT-DOWN OF AIRLINER NEAR PITTSBURGH,
ATTACK ON CAMP DAVID) REMAIN IN CIRCULATION. FEARS OF
AN ANTI-ARAB/ANTI-MUSLIM BACKLASH IN THE U.S. APPEAR
WIDESPREAD.


6. EMBASSY OFFICERS HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS CALLS AND
E-MAIL MESSAGES FROM SAUDI, WESTERN, AND DIPLOMATIC
COLLEAGUES EXPRESSING SHOCK AND HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES.

SCOBEY