Saudi to host counterterror forum

SAUDI ARABIA: The Saudi Arabian government will host the first international counterterrorism conference from Feb. 5 to Feb. 8, the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington said on Thursday.

Over 50 countries, including 15 from the Arab world, will attend the conference, to be held in Riyadh. Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz will open the conference.

The expected outcome from this event will be specific proposals for improving international cooperation on counterterrorism and improving capabilities to combat financing, money laundering and drug trafficking, the embassy said.

"The attendees hope to reach practical conclusions and recommendations to support international efforts in fighting terrorism," the embassy said in its website, www.aboutsaudiarabia.net.

The conference will be divided into several workshops focusing on four main themes: terrorist ideology and its roots; the relationship between terrorism, money laundering, arms and weapons trafficking; the experiences of certain countries in combating terrorism as well as terrorist organizations and their composition. --JP