A group of terrorists has planned to launch a third version of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula aimed at calling for jihad (holy war) to destabilize Saudi security, Saudi sources said.

Though the group has no link with similar groups in Iraq or Syria, debates with them showed that foreign hands orchestrated them, the sources said.

In what has become known as the Sakinah Campaign, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs debated via the Internet over the last three months with the “Katibah Group.”

This group is run by more than one person and advocates terrorist acts in Saudi Arabia. It has been proven that the new cells have superficial knowledge about Shariah and religious studies, a matter that explains their confusion and reveals that Al-Qaeda has been infiltrated by foreign circles that want to destabilize security in the Kingdom.

Earlier, Al-Qaeda used to infiltrate and manipulate other groups and circles for its own purposes but, due to the weakness of the organization, it has become an implementation instrument for other (foreign) parties who are exploiting Al-Qaeda members to produce more brutal and bloodthirsty thoughts, the sources said. Saudi society rejects such thoughts because they carry deviant ideas, the sources said.

The debates revealed that Al-Qaeda members tried to evade many points raised with them. Instead, they used obscenities that had nothing to do with scientific debate based on proper Shariah knowledge. Some said they wanted to contact their references to obtain fatwas. This indicates that foreigners who are planning to implant sedition in the Kingdom, were guiding them, the sources said.

According to the sources, Al-Qaeda elements are coming from a number of countries, mainly from Yemen. This country is receiving the biggest support from Al-Qaeda leader Aiman Zawahiri, whose members were the first to declare their loyalty to him.

They maintain external links that intend to hit stability and security of the Kingdom.
Head of the Sakinah Campaign Abdulmonim Al-Mushawah said online debates with Al-Qaeda elements intensified in the last four months before Ramadan and substantially diminished during the holy month.

One of the members has recently been arrested, said the Ministry of Interior. This member was engaged in such debates, the sources said. The diminishing of debates with Al-Qaeda elements during Ramadan was timed with the bust-up of two terror cells in Riyadh and Jeddah, the sources pointed out.

Al-Mushawah stressed the need to continue thought programs to boost religious moderation in the face of extremism.