Big Terror is Back to Saudi Arabia

Big Terror is Back to Saudi Arabia
First appeared: http://journal-neo.org/2015/05/24/big-terror-is-back-to-saudi-arabia/

A terrorist attack in the village of El-Kadih near the Shia enclave of Qatif in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, when a suicide bomber detonated himself in a local mosque during the Friday prayers resulted in 20 people killed and more than 70 injured, and has marked a new chapter in the country’s modern history. The Kingdom has never witnessed such a large scale attack, even during the period of 2003-2006, when Al Qaeda made its infamous strikes in Jeddah and Riyadh.

It’s crucial to note that there’s a big difference between the events that happened ten years ago and those happening now. Back then terrorist attacks were the evil doings of Osama bin Laden aimed at striking the royal family at its heart, while cells of Al Qaeda Islamists were scattered all across the region, organizing attacks that were aimed at getting maximum media exposure.

Today the situation is fundamentally different, since responsibility for yesterday’s attack was claimed by ISIL which keeps under its control a considerable part of both Iraq and Syria. In fact, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has recently been manifesting features of a quasi-state with its own army, territory, financial institutions, propaganda capabilities and education system. One year since the moment of its official creation this terrorist organization has managed to radically change the balance of power, rapidly transforming into a major regional player that determines trends in the Middle East.
First appeared: http://journal-neo.org/2015/05/24/big-terror-is-back-to-saudi-arabia/