BRIEFS

SAUDI ARABIA ANNOUNCES SPECIAL SHARIA TRIBUNAL TO TRY EXTREMISTS

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz has recently declared the creation of a special court to try extremists. According to Asharq al-Awsat, the court will apply Sharia to judge imprisoned extremists. He did not explain how many prisoners would be tried under the special court (Asharq al-Awsat, November 15). “Those who want the good of those close to them have returned [to the right path] but those who want evil will be judged according to Islamic norms,” the prince explained. “A tribunal based on Sharia has been put in place to judge those in prison. Sharia will apply to those who are found guilty.” Meanwhile, Interior Minister Prince Naif revealed that Saudi Arabia has received 23 Saudi fighters that were captured by U.S. forces in Iraq between September 2005 and April 2006. Moreover, he announced more details about the planned security fence along its border with Iraq, construction of which will begin next year. The fence will have 135 gates, sophisticated monitoring systems and will be equipped with sensors (Arab News, November 15). The security fence is part of a larger Ministry of Interior (MIKSA) project, which is supposed to improve border security throughout the Arabian Peninsula (Terrorism Focus, October 10).

REVENGE ATTACKS IN TRIBAL BELT; TALIBAN CLAIM SUPPORT FOR PEACE DEAL

Khan Jan Wazir, a tribal leader who is supporting efforts to fight foreign militants in Pakistan’s tribal belt, was killed by a roadside bomb in South Waziristan on November 17. In addition, Malik Azher Khan Baber, a tribal leader, survived a separate attack unhurt when assailants opened fire on his car in a village near Miran Shah. Pakistani security officials believe that the killing of Khan Jan Wazir may have been in revenge for the October 30 government attack on a madrassa in Bajaur Agency (Dawn, November 11). The Taliban began to crack down on informants in the wake of the destruction of the madrassa and have killed tribesmen in at least two acts of revenge (Terrorism Focus, November 7). At the same time, the Taliban deny their involvement in recent attacks against government troops. According to the Daily Times, Abdullah Farhad, a Taliban spokesman, denied any involvement in an incident where five rockets were fired on an army camp in the border town of Mir Ali in North Waziristan. He said that the Taliban would honor the peace agreement in North Waziristan and would not engage in any fighting there. In addition, he dismissed the accusation that the Taliban had set up taxes in the Miran Shah region as “bogus” and argued that the story was created by “elements that don’t want peace” (Daily Times, November 12). After the September 5 peace accord in North Waziristan, the Taliban expanded their control over the agency and allegedly established taxes and penalties (Terrorism Focus, October 31).