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| US President George W. Bush said the attack
on the US consulate in the Saudi port of Jeddah showed that 'terrorists
are still on the move' and thanked Saudi authorites for their response.
(Photo: Yahoo/AFP) |
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| Smoke billowing from the US consulate in
the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah. Gunmen suspected of links to Al-Qaeda
stormed the consulate, triggering a bloody three-hour siege and a shootout
that left five staff and three attackers dead. (Photo:
Xinhua/AFP) |
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| Saudi security forces stand outside the US
consulate in Jeddah. (Photo: Xinhua/AFP) |
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| Saudi Prince of Mecca, Abdul Majid bin
Abdel Aziz, left, visits a wounded Yemeni worker Mowaffaq Ahmed at the
King Fahd hospital in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia Monday, Dec. 6, 2004 following
a terrorist attack which killed at least 12 people. (Photo:
Xinhua/AFP) |
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A TV grab shows that black
smoke was seen rising from the US consulate in the Red Sea city of Jeddah,
Dec. 6, 2004. At least four Saudi national guards were killed by the
gunmen who stormed the US consulate in the Red Sea city of Jeddah on
Monday. (Xinhua/AFP
photo)
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RIYADH, Dec. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- A Gaida group in Saudi
Arabia claimed responsibility for Monday's attack on US consulate in the Saudi
Arabian city of Jeddah, which killed at least eight people including five
non-American staffers.
The statement posted on a website said that some
attackers managed to flee after the operation. Enditem
Bush: Saudi attack shows
terrorists still on move
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- US President George W. Bush said Monday that the attack on the US. consulate in the Saudi port city of Jeddah showed that "terrorists are still on the move" and he thanked the Saudi authorities for what they did in response.
"The attacks in Saudi Arabia remind us that the terrorists are still on the move
... They want us to leave Saudi Arabia, they want us to leave Iraq, they want us
to grow timid and weary in the face of their willingness to kill randomly, kill
innocent people," Bush said after his talks with visiting interim Iraqi
president Ghazi al-Yawar.
Bush thanked the Saudi government for "responding as quickly as they did" and
vowed to find out more about who caused the attacks.
Both Bush and Yawar said they were committed to holding Iraq's scheduled Jan. 30
elections on time.
"I believe it is necessary for the Iraqi people to vote on January 30th because
it provides an opportunity for people to participate in democracy. It will send
a clear message to the few people in Iraq that are trying to stop the march
toward democracy that they can not stop elections," Bush said.
For his part, Yawar said an overwhelming majority of Iraqis want to participate
in the elections.
"We in Iraq, the whole Iraqi society, are willing to participate in elections
... the mass public of Iraq are all very anxious to go and cast their votes,"
Yawar said.
Their comments followed a group of gunmen who stormed the US consulate in Jeddah
on Monday and killed at least four Saudi national guards and took 18 local staff
hostage. Saudi security forces responded by shooting dead three attackers and
capturing two.
It was the first major assault by gunmen suspected of linkage with al-Qaeda in
Saudi Arabia since May. Enditem
3 gunmen killed in attack on
US consulate in Jeddah: ministry
RAYADH, Dec. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Three attackers were
killed and two were injured and arrested by Saudi security forces when US
consulate in the Red Sea city of Jeddah came under attack Monday, the Interior
Ministry announced.
The official Saudi Press Agency
quoted a statement as saying that Saudi security forces engaged the attackers,
"killing three aggressors, and two were captured after they were
hit."
The statement said a "stray bunch", a reference
to Islamic militants, threw explosives at the gate of the consulate then
entered.
"The situation was brought under control," it
added. Earlier the Dubai-based al-Arabiya TV reported that at least one gunman
was killed by Saudi security forces when US consulate in the Red Sea city of
Jeddah came under attack Monday.
Another two attackers
were arrested after they exchanged fire with security guards inside the US
mission compound.
According to US Embassy spokesperson
Carol Kalin, all US diplomats have been accounted for and there was no word on
US casualties.
The attack started early Monday with
gunshots and explosions. Four Saudi security guards have been killed and 18
local consulate staff taken hostage by the attackers, earlier reports
said.
The area has been cordoned off by security
forces.
Violence has surged in the kingdom since last
May, during which militants with alleged links to al-Qaida have staged several
bombing attacks against western targets and dozens of foreigners have been
killed.
Enditem
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