Huge Explosion Rocks Saudi Capital

This is breaking, so there is not much being reported yet. I hope this isn't a precurser of things to come...


www.foxnews.com

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia � A large explosion went off in central Riyadh (search) on Wednesday evening, witnesses said, and ambulances and police cars rushed to the scene.

Three helicopters were seen hovering over the area, as sirens were heard soon after the 8:35 p.m. blast. Al-Jazeera (search) reported that the explosion was from a car bomb that went off at a building close to the Interior Ministry.

Police sealed off roads leading to the area.

On Dec. 6 Saudi militants attacked the U.S. consulate in Jeddah, killing nine people.

The Saudi government has been cracking down on militants since a series of Al Qaeda-affiliated attacks on residential compounds in May 2003. The attacks have killed several Westerners.

Many senior militants have been either killed or arrested in the campaign, including more than half of a list of 26 most-wanted terrorists.

Edit: spelling


[edit on 29-12-2004 by thirddensity]

Two blast in Riyadh

Two car bomb have exploded in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, it has been reported.
Shooting in the area was also reported by news agencies.
They said security forces closed off roads leading to al Maazar district where the interior ministry and the Intercontinental Hotel are located.
The Interior Ministry itself was not damaged, according to a security source.
There was no immediate word of casualties and the source said it was not yet clear if it was a suicide bombing.
The blasts occurred hours after Saudi security forces shot dead a gunman in Riyadh after searching a district where a terror suspect and a civilian were killed in a clash the night before.

www.skynews.co.uk

I noticed the Saoudi have yellow Chinook helicopters for ambulances!

You can put a whole operation chamber in a chinook, some nice toys you can buy with that oilmoney, unfortunately the sheikhs cannot buy all their people...

I believe the emir of Qatar actually bought all his people by making ALL of them at least millionair (they have relative small population, all part of the same tribe(?) and sitting on top of huge oil/gasreserves). On a documentary they interviewed a man from Qatar who just for prestige and social status got a job as an executive, but he hasn't been to his work for 17 years, but still his salary gets paid!!! I guess it just looks better on parties when they ask one of his wifes, what her husband does: "He is a CEO" sounds better than "He is a former sheepherder, now millionaire living on welfare"

Not even the smallest sign of rebellion, the best goods/food and intellect, architects and footballers are flown in from all over the world, it's such a perfect place it looks unreal ...


Well allmost perfect, 4-5 times a day huge speakers everywhere sing the praises of Allah Everywhere, there is no escape and people go to the mosquee (you better have a good excuse not to show up). in the documentary they accidently caught the emir smoking a cigarette, he demanded that part be cut out , some people might think that (while smoking is not strictly prohibited in the islam) where is tabacco there also might be a bottle of Johnny Walker in the topdrawer, that wouldn't look good...



[edit on 2-1-2005 by Countermeasures]