Air Force Attack Attempt Discovered
Al-Qaida Cell Tried To Shoot Down U.S. Plane At Saudi Base
June 13, 2002
By John McWethy
Terrorists in Saudi Arabia made a systematic attempt to shoot down U.S. Air Force planes operating from one of several bases there, U.S. officials told ABCNEWS.
A month ago, U.S. security first stumbled upon what was left of a portable anti-aircraft missile after it had apparently been fired at the main U.S. operating hub in Saudi Arabia, the Prince Sultan Air Base. The missile tube was found just outside the fence line.
Sources told ABCNEWS the terrorist who fired the weapon has been captured, is in custody in Sudan and is talking.
The sources said the suspect, who was trained by al Qaeda, was the head of a cell operating in Saudi Arabia. They said he and others cased U.S. air bases and one night easily evaded Saudi security forces while attempting to shoot down an American plane.
The suspect says he fired one missile, but it failed to lock onto its target, according to the sources. He then became frightened, buried a second missile nearby and ran away.
The fact that anyone was able to get that close to the U.S. operating base has raised grave concerns about the safety of American pilots and new worries about just how serious the Saudis are about protecting U.S. military forces in their country.
Al Qaeda Persistence
It is also another sign of how persistent al Qaeda cells can be.
In Morocco, three Saudi men were arrested Monday. They are accused of plotting to blow up U.S. and British warships using the same kind of small boats loaded with explosives that nearly sank the USS Cole 20 months ago.
Hundreds of U.S. ships pass through the Strait of Gibraltar every year, and many warships visit the Spanish ports of Malaga and Cartagena, where they are considered prime targets of this group.
Most U.S. ships now sail through the Strait of Gibraltar under cover of darkness — to make any potential attack that much harder.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/threats_saudi020612.html