Special Dispatch -Saudi Arabia
December 3, 2002
No. 446

Saudi Minister of Interior, Prince Nayef Ibn Abd Al-Aziz:
"Who Committed the Events of September 11... I Think They [the Zionists] are
Behind these Events... [Arab] Mass Media Should Condemn Terrorism, Warn Arab
Nationals of it, and Let Our Voice be Heard by the World... It is
Impossible that 19 Youths, Including 15 Saudis, Carried Out the Operation of
September 11"

On November 29, 'Ain-Al-Yaqeen, a weekly news magazine published online by
the Saudi royal family, released an English translation of an interview with
Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Nayef Ibn Abd Al-Aziz; the interview
originally appeared in the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Siyasa. The following are
excerpts from the translation1 as it appeared in the Saudi weekly:

The Department of Virtue Propagation and Vice Prevention

"The Department of Virtue Propagation and Vice Prevention is not a
department of hegemony and is a governmental agency that is governed by the
government's law and does not operate outside it. Commenting on his visit
to the Department of Virtue Propagation and Vice Prevention, he [Prince Naif
Ibn Abdul Aziz] added that the department needs to hire well qualified
people and not people of limited qualifications who act recklessly. Prince
Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz said workers of the department should gently deal with
the people and avoid harshness, especially with young people. Prince Naif
said an institute to train the workers of the department would be
established. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz explained the institute would train
them on how to propagate virtue and prevent vice. He added that this will
improve matters and address all the shortcomings which were discussed during
his visit to the department..."

Western Interference in Arab Education and Islamic Law Increased Hatred

"Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz said the hostile attitude shown by the U.S.
media and some European media, especially in Britain, does not scare the
kingdom but it is annoying because it is unwarranted and does not serve
their interests. Prince Naif stated that the position of some in the West
toward the Arab world and the Palestinian cause led to the hatred shown by
the Arab peoples, and he urged the West to change their image fast. Prince
Naif added that painting Saudi citizens with the brush of terrorism and talk
about interference in education and even the Islamic law increased hatred of
the people toward the U.S. although the U.S. people are innocent and good in
general."

"Who Committed the Events of September 11... I Think They [the Zionists] are
Behind these Events"

"Prince Naif stressed that relations between the Saudi and U.S. governments
are strong despite the Zionist-controlled media that manipulated the events
of September 11 and turned the U.S. public opinion against Arabs and Islam.
Prince Naif said, 'we put big question marks and ask who committed the
events of September 11 and who benefited from them. Who benefited from
events of 11/9? I think they [the Zionists] are behind these events.'"

Prince Greatly Suspects September 11 Terrorist Organization "Topped by
Israeli Intelligence"

"Mass media should address terrorism, warn Arab nationals of it, and let our
voice be heard by the world that our countries are against terrorism...
Prince Naif stressed that mass media should condemn terrorism. Media staff
should think of ways to protect their countries and youths from terrorist
operations. They should protect their religion from being attributed to
terrorism by suspected people. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz said that he
greatly suspected that these terrorist organizations have relation with
foreign intelligence that worked against Arab and Muslims topped by Israeli
intelligence. They wanted to attack us at our bases and tenets, notably our
religion and the Palestinian issue."

"It is Impossible that 19 Youths, Including 17 Saudis, Carried Out the
Operation of September 11"

"He noted that it is impossible that 19 youths, including 17 Saudis, carried
out the operation of September 11, or that bin Laden or [the] Al-Qa'ida
organization did that alone. We can say that these people are either agents
or ignorant since their action was against Islam and Muslims. By this action
the world became against Islam, Muslims and Arabs."

The U.S. Did Not Request Change in Saudi Curricula

"Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz denied that the privacy of Saudi Arabia annoys
their allies. He gave evidence of Saudi Arabia's excellent, diversified and
deep-rooted relations with others. He also denied that U.S. officials have
requested their Saudi counterparts to embark on changing educational
curricula. Prince Naif defended the Saudi educational system as intact but
subject to developing by Saudi experts."

Saudi Arabia Was for Years the Refuge for Muslim Brotherhood Activists

"He lashed out at the Muslim Brotherhood organization which he said gave
birth to a multinational spectrum of Islamic politicians who turned their
backs to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and forgot its favors to them. He
cited that many of the organization's members were living in the Kingdom and
receiving refuge and humanitarian assistance [from] its people and
officials... Interior Minister Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz has stated that
the Muslim Brotherhood organization was the cause of most problems in the
Arab world. 'The Brotherhood has done great damage to Saudi Arabia,' he
said. Prince Naif accused the foremost Islamist group in the Arab world of
harming the interests of Muslims. 'All our problems come from the Muslim
Brotherhood. We have given too much support to this group..."

"The Muslim Brotherhood has destroyed the Arab world,' he said. 'Whenever
they got into difficulty or found their freedom restricted in their own
countries, Brotherhood activists found refuge in the Kingdom which protected
their lives... But they later turned against the Kingdom...' The Muslim
Brotherhood has links to groups across the Arab world, including Jordan's
main parliamentary opposition, the 'Islamic Action Front,' and the
'Palestinian resistance movement, 'Hamas.'' The Interior Minister's
outburst against the Brotherhood came amid mounting criticism in the United
States of Saudi Arabia's longstanding support for Islamist groups around the
world..."

"I Cannot Still Believe that 19 Youths, Including 15 Saudis, Carried Out the
September 11 Attacks with the Support of Bin Laden and His Al-Qa'ida
organization. It's Impossible"

"The Interior Minister hinted that foreign powers might have provided
support to terrorists who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks. 'I cannot still
believe that 19 youths, including 15 Saudis, carried out the September 11
attacks with the support of bin Laden and his Al-Qa'ida organization. It's
impossible. I will not believe that these people have the power to do so
horrendous an attack.' However, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz reiterated the
Kingdom's condemnation of the attack that destroyed the World Trade Center
in New York and damaged the Pentagon outside Washington. He said the
September 11 attacks had turned the world against Islam, Muslims and Arabs."

"The Kingdom's Imams [More than 50,000] Follow the Official Line of
Thinking"

"He said there are more than 50,000 imams at the Kingdom's mosques who
follow the official line of thinking. 'If they deviate from this line and
persist doing so, they will have to find other jobs.' Referring to his
meeting with officials of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and
Prevention of Vice, Prince Naif said the meeting was fruitful. He said the
commission must employ efficient and learned people to carry out their
mission. 'During the meeting the grand mufti gave a speech on the
commission's responsibilities, and urged its officials to shed rigidity and
avoid mistakes,' he added."

Endnote:
(1) The text of the entire article can be found at
www.ain-al-yaqeen.com/issues/20021129/feat6en.htm.

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