By : Mshari Al Thaydi

Elimination of two wanted terrorists – Tayea Salem Yaslam al-Sayari and Talal Samran al-Saadi – in Riyadh few days ago highlighted the story of Saudi struggle against terror groups. Tayea, who prepared explosive belts, was a student on a scholarship program.

He gave up education and joined his brother Motea in ISIS. Talal did the same and joined his brother Fahd whose activity launched the major Saudi assault against al-Qaeda groups and their recent breed, the ISIS.

Officially, Saudi Arabia’s war against terrorism began 14 years ago, in March 2003. This was after security forces unearthed a house from where al-Qaeda was operating. The house, which served recruitment and storage purposes, was located in al-Jazira neighborhood of Riyadh. A huge explosion happened there killing al-Qaeda member Fahd, who was then 29 years old.

This explosion exposed al-Qaeda’s evil designs and came as a response to all those who had any doubts about the extent of al-Qaeda plans to set up an extensive terror network across the country.

This is where it all began. It was followed by a confrontation between Saudi security forces and the society, which was shocked by these developments. Operations began against al-Qaeda terror cells which were mostly formed of Saudi “sahwi” youths and dangerous commanders from Yemen, Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco, Egypt and other countries.

It is time to establish “real” research centers to examine this problem as it truly as and not as some preachers think it is. These centers must analyze this ideology’s intellectual, media and social manifestations

Mshari al-Thaydi

A new approach

In May 2003, in a new approach adopted by the state to deal with terror groups, Saudi authorities revealed the first list of suspected terrorists. Thus came a list of 19 names and it included dangerous men such as the first founder of al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia Yusef al-Ayeri, his successor Abdulaziz al-Muqrin, Saleh al-Awfi, Khaled Hajj, a dangerous Yemeni al-Qaeda member, and others.

Five days later, a terrorist group which included five men from those on the list raided three residential compounds in Riyadh using booby-trapped cars. The attacks, which took place in May, 2003 in east of Riyadh, later came to be known as al-Hamra and Granada attacks.

Subsequent developments took dangerous dimensions and the most recent has been the killing of Talal and Tayea in the al-Yasmeen neighborhood of Riyadh. A lot has been written in the media and said during religious sermons since the launch of operations to neutralize terror outfits. However, the ideology has only expanded and branched across the world.

I think it is time to establish “real” research centers to examine this problem as it truly as and not as some preachers think it is. These centers must analyze this ideology’s intellectual, media and social manifestations. These research centers must take matters seriously and they must work hard and be patient while performing their duties. The beginning of the healing process is the accurate understanding of the disease.

Saudi journalist Mshari Al Thaydi presents Al Arabiya News Channel’s “views on the news” daily show “Maraya.” He has previously held the position of a managing senior editor for Saudi Arabia & Gulf region at pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat. Al Thaydi has published several papers on political Islam and social history of Saudi Arabia. He appears as a guest on several radio and television programs to discuss the ideologies of extremist groups and terrorists.

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