The Saudis’ terror within

THE U.S. EMBASSY’S WARNING to Americans in Saudi Arabia last week of planned terrorist attacks was a stark reminder that the nation that produced 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 remains a target as well. Although the embassy in Riyadh said it had no specific information about possible timing or targets of attacks, it broadcast its warning on the same day that Saudi security forces reported uncovering a cache of bomb-making materials, including chemicals and tons of fertilizer, 50 miles southeast of the capital.

Saudi Arabia and terrorism are deeply intertwined. Long before 9/11, Osama bin Laden demanded that the kingdom expel U.S. troops stationed there after the 1991 Persian Gulf War. But not until May 2003, when Al Qaeda suicide bombers killed dozens in an attack on three housing compounds, did the ruling princes step up their counterterrorism efforts. Their progress has been remarkable, but the Saudis could be doing still more to foil the threat of terrorism.

There have been some notable successes. On July 4, Saudi security forces killed Younis Mohammed Ibrahim Hayyari, one of the most wanted men in the country, for his participation in Al Qaeda attacks around the kingdom. And Saudi Arabia has reorganized its Interior Ministry to respond more effectively to terrorism, tightening the borders and cracking down on bank accounts that funneled cash to terrorists. Al Qaeda, though not dismantled, is on the defensive in the nation that once provided it so many recruits.

Despite these steps, Saudi Arabia’s relationship with the U.S. remains complicated -- especially as the Bush administration professes its desire to advance the cause of democracy in the Middle East, a campaign that discomforts the kingdom’s autocratic rulers. The United States should be appreciative of the Saudis’ cooperation in tracking down terrorists. But it also should remind them that one of the main weapons against terrorism is openness.