World News 07-12-2004 Nine Dead in Al-Qaeda Shootout who: Al-Qa`eda terrorists what: Suspected to be behind raid on US consulate where: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia when: Yesterday snippet: "Saudi boasts of winning the war against home-grown terrorists were blown apart yesterday," says The Telegraph, "when suspected al-Qaeda-linked militants blasted their way into the heavily fortified United States consulate in the city of Jeddah." "The US embassy said five non-Americans employed at the consulate, including a security guard, died in the attack and several were injured," reports The Guardian. "Three of the attackers died in the shootout, one died later in hospital and the other was under arrest." "Exact details of the events in Jeddah were still confused last night," says The Independent, "but the gun battle at the heavily fortified compound lasted three hours before Saudi security forces managed to regain control." "No group has admitted responsibility but it is widely assumed to be the work of al-Qaeda followers," says the ITV news website, "and it would be the first such attack in the kingdom since May." Indeed, until yesterday, the Saudi government had been doing much to revlieve American concerns over the security of the kingdom, says The Telegraph`s Robin Gedye. They had arrested 300 terrorist suspects since May and killed Salih al-Awfi, al-Qaeda`s leader in Saudi Arabia, in Riyadh in October. "His replacement, Saud al-Utaybi, had come from the lower echelons of al-Qa`eda since the major players were either dead, under arrest or had fled." [... more]

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