(3)al Qaeda Offensive on the Arabian Peninsula
Refinery in Saudi Arabia attacked following the destruction of the Golden Mosque in Samarra
Fresh from the destruction of the dome of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, al Qaeda has struck again on the Arabian Peninsula. The target was the oil refinery in Abqaiq.
Two suicide car-bombs were directed at the gates of the facility but were repelled by the security guards before they could enter the main compound. Asharq Alawsat provides the details of the strike:
The attack began about 3pm. The two cars used in the attack had been disguised to look like ARAMCO vehicles, enabling the terrorists to enter the complex. But the tight security around the oil plant foiled their plans and the guards did not allow them to enter. The terrorists then shot at the security guards and exploded their cars. Thirteen Security guards were injured and were taken to hospital for treatmentIn exclusive statements to Asharq al Awsat, Lieutenant Mansour al Turki, Interior Ministry spokesman, said that it was difficult to tell how many terrorists had participate in the failed attack as their bodies were blown to pieces when the cars they were driving exploded.
The Abqaiq facility is one of the largest and vulnerable plants in Saudi Arabia, and while the strike was unsuccessful at damaging the infrastructure, the price of oil has jumped none the less. The mere threat of the disruption of the flow of oil causes the markets to react negatively.
The timing of the attack indicates al Qaeda may be in a period of increased operational tempo throughout the region. Past major al Qaeda attacks have come in bursts, and the recent set of attacks appears to be no different. Minerva, at Terrorism Unveiled, indicates al Qaeda plots are no longer centrally planned, but farmed out to the regional groups which receive financial or logistical support. However the proximity of the Samarra and Abqaiq achieve the desired effects for al Qaeda – large scale operations designed to disrupt the governments of Iraq and Saudi Arabia while demonstrating al Qaeda's power and relevance in the region. We think the attacks were coordinated.
Saudi Arabia has been waging a war against al Qaeda within the confines of the Kingdom's borders for several years. The Saudis have conducted numerous operations against the group, and al Qaeda has had some successes in striking at targets within the Kingdom. Osama bin Laden has explicitly called for strikes within Saudi Arabia, and has called for al Qaeda to focus on the petrolium industry; ““Take jihad (holy war) to stop (the Americans) getting hold of (the oil). Concentrate your operations on the oil, in particular in Iraq and the Gulf.”
Unlike the operation in Samarra, which al Qaeda attempts to pin on the Shiites, al Qaeda has taken responsibility for this attack, “With grace from God alone, hero mujahideen from the squadron of Sheikh Osama bin Laden succeeded today (Friday)...in penetrating a plant for refining oil and gas in the town of Abqaiq in the eastern part of the peninsula, and then allowed two car bombs in driven by two martyrdom seekers... These plants help in stealing the Muslims' wealth of oil.”
Saudi security forces have had great success in rooting out al Qaeda operatives, and many of the high-value targets have been killed or captured. The fact the al Qaeda teams could not penetrate the security of the Abqaiq facility makes it likely their was no assistance from the inside, and the security is well trained and alert to the threat. They had better remain alert, as al Qaeda views the Saudi oil infrastructure as the Kingdom's jugular, and will strike at these facilities again.
