Saudi Arabia admits security ‘shortcomings’
Saudi Arabian authorities have admitted that they had received warnings that al-Qaeda was planning an attack in Riyadh before attacks this week killed 34 people.
Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said that there ‘was news coming from everywhere that al-Qaeda were planning a major attack.’
The Arab state has conceded there were ‘shortcomings’ in security and has pledged to clamp down on terror in the state.
The suicide car bombings on three housing compounds for western workers killed a Briton, an Irish woman and injured 200 people, including at least six British nationals.
The US criticised Saudi Arabia saying that it had asked the kingdom’s ministers to make improvements to security arrangements for expatriates several times, but the Saudis had failed to co-operate fully.
US Ambassador Robert Jordan told CBS television, ‘We continue to work with the Saudis on this, but they did not, as of the time of this tragic event, provide the additional security we requested.’
Cars crashed through the gates of three housing compounds in Riyadh. Terrorists opened fire and then proceeded to detonate explosive devices.
The British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sir Derek Plumbly has announced that the government is in talks with Saudi authorities about increasing security for British nationals in the country.
However, many of the 30,000 westerners in Saudi Arabia have started to leave, shaken by the attacks and suggestions there could be further violence.
The foreign office has issued travel advice warning Britons against all non-essential travel to the kingdom and is allowing the departure of all but essential members of its staff.
British and American investigators alongside Saudi police are now beginning to search the sites of the bombings for evidence. The US has sent over a team of specialist Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents to Riyadh to assist in the investigation
