Bombs Rock Western Expatriate Residential Complexes in Riyadh
Powell - Unprecedented welcome to Saudi Arabia
13 May 2003 — Saudi Arabian capital was rocked by four explosions last night in which many western expatriates, were wounded. A series of blast took place just before Collin Powell, US Secretary of State was planning a state visit to Saudi Arabia. At least one was killed and over 40 US citizens were wounded in the explosions which occurred in residential areas of the Saudi capital, the Cable News Network (CNN) television network reported on Tuesday.Al-Arabiya television channel reported that Saudi security forces exchanged fire with the terrorists inside the compound. The network also reported that many charred bodies were seen being taken from ambulances at a local hospital. According to Saudi Interior Ministry an investigation is under way. There has been growing anti American sentiment in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. Some of the residents of the compounds were Western defense contractors, and others were advisers to the Saudi Arabia National Guard and other military units. Three employees of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems were injured in the attacks. (Read CNN Report)
The Arab News reported quoting a US State Department official said three car bombs were detonated in front of three compounds housing US and other Western nationals.No US officials are believed to live at the housing compounds, the newspaper said quoting State Department officials. The Al-Hamra compound is located in eastern Riyadh on the road to the airport.The other two locations were named as the Cordoval and Gedawal compounds by informed sources.There was a fourth explosion at the headquarters of the Saudi Maintenance Company, also known as Siyanco. The US has warned Saudi authorities about a possible terrorist strike on western targets in Saudi Arabia. It is not known whether the US hand is behind the blast.
The explosions occurred hours before US Secretary of State Colin Powell was due to arrive in the capital. It was not immediately clear if the incidents would affect his travel plans. A resident of the Al-Hamra compound, where the blast took place, talked to Arab News moments after the explosion took place.
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According to media reports quoting eye witnesses the incident took place at around 11.15 p.m. He said that he and his family were sleeping when they woke up to the sound of gunfire. Moments later, a loud explosion within the compound was heard followed by another bigger explosion.The explosion was so powerful that it blasted windows and even doors off the villas of the residential compounds.Sirens from police cars and the sound of helicopters could also be heard hovering around the compound, said an eyewitness.A resident said that he saw “scores” of bodies on the ground following the explosion at Al-Hamra compound. Al-Hamra compound houses many international residents living in the capital. Alongside with Arizona compound, and Granada Village, the three are the most elite compounds in Riyadh that are especially attractive to foreigners.
Meanwhile, Saudi Police is intensifying counter terrorism measures. All hotels and commercial centers are now required to search cars and luggage to make sure there are no concealed explosives or weapons. Some hotels are using imported bomb detectors which cost about $80,000. Security companies are also carefully training their employees and supplying them with walkie-talkies so they can quickly report any suspicious activity to the police.
Last week, police had seized a huge stash of explosives, weapons and cash following a shootout with suspected terrorists in the capital. Interior Ministry said police were hunting “19 terrorists, 17 of them Saudis” who “intended to carry out acts of terrorism.”
Al-Qaeda has “carried out changes in its leadership and sidelined the Sept. 11, 2001 team,” the magazine quoted Thabet as saying. “Future missions have been entrusted to the new team, which is well protected against the US intelligence services,” the magazine quoted Thabet as saying. “The old leadership does not know the names of any of its members.”Militants have earlier launched two major attacks on US targets in the Kingdom since the 1991 Gulf War.
In November 1995, five Americans and two Indians were killed and 60 people injured in an explosion in a car park near a US-run military training center in Riyadh.In June 1996, a bomb in a fuel truck killed 19 American soldiers and wounded nearly 400 people at a US military housing complex in Alkhobar.
A US troop withdrawal from Saudi Arabia has been one of the main demands of Al-Qaeda. The United States said on April 29 it was ending military operations in the Kingdom and removing virtually all of its forces after the Iraq war.Earlier this month, the State Department warned US citizens against non-essential travel to Saudi Arabia, citing intelligence that terrorist groups may be in the “final phases” of planning attacks against the US community there.
“Information indicates that terrorist groups may be in the final phases of planning attacks against US interests in Saudi Arabia,” it said in a statement.The State Department said it had no information about what the possible target or targets might be.It also reminded Americans that non-essential US diplomats and the families of all embassy and consulate personnel in Saudi Arabia remained under a so-called “authorized departure” scheme which allows them to leave the country at Washington’s expense.
US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Robert W. Jordan told CNN television network that he thought it was entirely likely there would be more casualties and there were a fair number of other nationals injured and perhaps killed. "We have somewhat over 40 Americans hospitalized at this stage," he said. The explosions took place just hours before US Secretary of State Colin Powell is due to arrive at the capital.The US State Department said that the explosions will not affect the visit of Powell to the country. Arabic TV channels reported that the residential area is located on the way to the Riyadh airport. A car packed with explosives that rammed into a compound in the area. The second explosion targeted a US firm, east of King Fahd Stadium, the reports said. The Arabia Satellite TV reported that ambulances were seen rushing toward the scenes of the blasts.Saudi Police Intensify Campaign to nab Suspected Al Queeda Members, offer huge Ransom for Information about them.
JEDDAH, 10 May 2003 — Saudi Arabia is intensifying efforts to nab terrorists who were planning major attack within the Kingdom. At least three of the 19 wanted Al-Qaeda suspects who escaped on Tuesday after a shootout with police fled in a Mercedes which was parked in front of a car maintenance workshop on the Riyadh-Dammam Expressway, Al-Watan Newspaper reported yesterday. More News
Network Associates to leverage strengths of new acquisitions to provide cutting edge solutions for Middle East clients
Next generation anti-spam & intrusion detection solutions launched in Saudi market
May 13, 2003
Network Associates Inc. (NAI), the global leader in network security and availability, today (Tuesday May 13th, 2003) announced that its portfolio of anti-spam solutions and intrusion detection systems had been considerably enhanced with three recent major acquisitions at the global level.Addressing a press conference in Riyadh, officials of Network Associates said that the recent acquisitions had enabled the company to offer a complete line of system protection, network protection and security policy management solutions. This range is first being launched in Saudi Arabia.
"The Saudi market presents us a unique opportunity to introduce these industry-leading products, because there is a huge potential for IT in the Kingdom," said Mina. "Independent research findings estimate that the Saudi market is worth US$ 3.7 billion, constituting over 60 per cent of the total GCC market. It has been described as the second most mature market, after Bahrain, in the adoption and use of IT. It is therefore highly appropriate that we are launching our new products in Saudi Arabia."
"The rest of the GCC market too carries a huge potential for us, as it is estimated that the IT market would swell to US$ 8 billion in 2005, against US$ 6 billion in 2002. The depressing slowdown in the Western IT market has failed to affect the region's buoyancy, because of the aggressive government-led initiatives and the drive of businesses to migrate to leading edge and fully secure systems. We expect the momentum to gather further pace."
NAI recently acquired IntruVert Networks, a provider of network-based intrusion protection technology; Deersoft Inc., provider of leading edge anti-spam applications and Entercept Security Technologies, a market leader in host-based intrusion prevention solutions.
"Recent developments at Network Associates has considerably strengthened its position in its core areas of speciality. These strategic acquisitions have equipped Network Associates with industry-leading expertise in anti spamming and intrusion detection," said Thomas Mina, Territory Manager, Network Associates. "The end-solution, after integrating the new systems with our existing McAfee technology, is guaranteed to produce unmatched performance and highest levels of security. We are extremely delighted to launch these innovative products in Saudi Arabia, one of the region's most promising IT markets."
Mina said the Deersoft acquisition would make Network Associates a leading player in curbing the escalating spam email problem. "The Deersoft solution has been selected as the most effective system for deployment at the gateway or on email servers, and can scale for use by a vast enterprise. These anti-spam solutions can be integrated with existing McAfee products to offer cost-effective, robust email protection for large and small enterprises. This marks a significant investment in spam and content filtering," said Mina.
Referring to the Entercept technology, Mina said it not only detects attacks on host servers but also blocks them through a combination of signature and behavioral methods.
"Prevention technologies do not just provide alerts pertaining to malicious activity on the server, they proactively block the servers from being exploited by such attacks. This architecture allows Entercept products to stop the CodeRed, Nimda, and Slammer attacks dead in their tracks. In addition, Entercept technology offers scalable system stability and logging functionality (forensics), functions that complement our InfiniStream product line and are of significant value to our customers," said Mina.
The combined strengths of Deersoft and Entercept technologies offer many benefits such as industry's first and only real time network and system protection solutions; scalable security system policy and remediation management; malicious code protection, including anti-virus; email spam protections and desktop firewall solutions.
Announcing the latest version of ePolicy Orchestrator management tools, Mina said it offered several functions not offered by competitors, such as single server scalability to manage an entire company; rich multi-level graphical reports as well as supporting text data; automatic management of new machines; central management of computers in multiple countries running on operating systems in local languages and integrated mobile user support.
"We are pleased to also provide our partners with the McAfee Perpetual Plus License Programme Partner Resource Center (PRC)," added Mina announcing the introduction of this new McAfee programme. "The PRC will include valuable sales, marketing and support information in local languages to help partners drive their revenues of McAfee Security products in the region"
Network Associates also announced the appointment of Patrick Hayati as the Regional Manager. Hayati is a Middle East IT veteran having worked for major companies across the region. His last position was with Hewlett Packard (HP) where he worked as Financial Services Manager for three years. Earlier, he worked with Compaq and handled the Middle East and Northern Africa region. He also had worked for NCR Corporation in Dubai and Kuwait.
