Saudi attacks a global problem

The Daily Yomiuri, Asia News Network, Tokyo

A weekend rampage by terrorists in Khobar, Saudi Arabia's eastern oil hub, ended after Saudi commandos neutralized the situation, but a sense of insecurity remains.

The most remarkable feature of the latest terrorist attack, in which over 20 civilians, including many foreigners, were killed, was that the militants targeted the oil industry upon which Saudi Arabia depends for its very survival.

The gunmen, dressed in military fatigues, stormed the offices of oil industry-related firms as well as a housing compound for the firms' employees. A statement purported to be from the al- Qaeda terrorist network said the attack was aimed at U.S. oil companies that exploited the wealth of Muslims.

This was the second terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia in less than a month. On May 1, a petrochemical site in the Red Sea industrial town of Yanbu was also attacked.

Saudi Arabia is the largest oil-exporting country in the world, and a very important ally for Japan, as one-fourth of our imported crude oil comes from there. If crude oil production in Saudi Arabia is threatened by terrorists, the damage will be not limited to that country. The Japanese economy, as well as the global economy, would likely stall.

The terrorists are apparently trying not only to topple or undermine the Saudi royal family, which rules the country, but also to destabilize the international community through Saudi Arabia. Every measure must be taken to prevent this from happening.

The latest incident took place as world oil prices remained at high levels, partly due to the recovery of the global economy and a subsequent increase in oil demand in the United States, China and other countries.

The Saudi government must beef up its counterterrorism measures. It has failed to prevent a series of terrorist bombings that have occurred in its oil industry cities and in the capital Riyadh since last year. It needs to take tougher steps than before, including finding terrorist bases and cutting off their financial support.

According to some observers, a backdrop to the incident is the fact that the Saudi public is frustrated by a domestic political system that has seldom seen reforms and an unemployment rate for younger Saudis that is reported to be more than 20 percent. Along with reinforcing counterterrorism measures, the Saudi government may have to stabilize the domestic situation through political and social reforms.

The terrorist problem is not one that Saudi Arabia can handle alone. The international community must support Riyadh by further expanding the global coalition against terrorism.