Mahmood Al-Itani
BEIRUT — Saudi Arabia is playing an important role in combating terrorist organizations like Daesh (the so-called IS), British government spokesman for the Middle East and North Africa Edwin Samuel told Okaz on Friday.
Recently, the Kingdom suffered many terrorist attacks that targeted even holy sites and places of worship.
As recently as Thursday a wanted terror suspect was arrested after a raid on a house in Umm Al-Hamam village in Qatif Governorate.
Mohsen Ibrahim Mosabah is charged with the murder of a security man, Faisal Bin Awad Al-Harbi, who was killed in a gunfire in Saihat city in Qatif Governorate on June 24, a security spokesman of the Ministry of Interior said in Jeddah on Friday.
Samuel acknowledged that the Kingdom was in the forefront of international efforts to stop terror funding.
Saudi Arabia is continuously making efforts to confirm that Daesh does not represent the principles of Islam, he said.
The war on terror ought to be from the military and ideological aspects simultaneously, Samuel said.
“We must stand in the face of extremism, as it feeds terrorism, spreads hate and pushes the youth to carry out the ugliest acts of violence,” he said.
“We must accept that the war against terror is going to be a long one. However, we will wage this war with all determination and we will achieve victory at the end,” Samuel asserted.
Terrorism is not only propagated by groups of extremists who want to impose their thought on the world, but also by regimes like that of Bashar Al-Asad who is committing the ugliest acts against its own people. This includes killings, torture, starvation and displacement, said the British official.
He said: “We share the fears of the region’s countries toward Iranian interference in their internal affairs. We must always be cautious. Iran’s support for the Houthis is also causing us a lot of concern, including reports that Iran has been transporting arms to Yemen. This is contradictory to UN Security Council resolution 2216.”
“It is not legitimate for Iran to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries or to sponsor acts of violence in the region,” added Samuel.
