Daily News Analysis

Another senior Saudi police officer shot dead in Riyadh

Crescent International

Rajab 19, 14362015-05-08

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The "Saudi" capital Riyadh is beginning to look like Detroit or New York. Just as American police officers are ruthless and shoot without even asking any questions, the "Saudi" police are equally notorious. But in recent weeks, they have faced a string of attacks in which policemen have been shot and killed. The latest was an attack on a patrol commander who was shot and killed today in the south of the capital.

Riyadh,
Friday May 08, 2015, 22:18 DST

Saudi police officers have become favorite targets for drive-by shootings. While they are known for swagger, their protruding bellies expose their contrived tough guy image. Now they face another serious challenge: attacks by unknown assailants. Perhaps, they have finally found their match. Police patrol commander Majed A’iz al-Ghamedi was shot dead by unidentified gunmen today as his detachment was operating in the south of the capital, Riyadh, according to Saudi Press Agency.

There has been a spate of shootings of police in and around Riyadh in April. Interior Minister Muhammad bin Nayef who has gained notoriety for being tough on crime faces a major challenge despite ordering tightening of security and issuing directives to deal with any agitation with an iron-fist.

While it is unknown who the assailants were—and it is highly unlikely the “Saudis” would be able to identify them given their incompetence—the trend must be worrying for the Bani Saud. Even as they announced a criminal investigation into the case, the growing incidents of attacks on policemen indicate all is not well in the desert kingdom.

There have been a number of attacks in recent weeks. Some attribute them to Yemeni workers in the desert kingdom; others to al Qaeda or even the takfiri terrorists group Daesh. Whosoever is behind the attacks, the regime is facing a growing problem and it is only escalating.

Internal dissent has been simmering for years with some 40,000 political prisoners languishing in jails for no other crime than asking for political reforms. The Bani Saud’s ill-conceived attack on Yemen has only exacerbated the problem. While “Saudi” aerial attacks have cause huge civilian casualties and massive infrastructure in Yemen, these have not come without a cost.

First, the Bani Saud have not achieved any of their stated objectives. The longer the crisis lingers on, the more the “Saudis” will get bogged down in the Yemeni quagmire. To understand the Bani Saud’s detachment from reality, they have repeatedly demanded that the Houthi Ansarullah fighters surrender their weapons. The Ansarullah have said to the Bedouins from Najd, “come and get them”!

Various reports have suggested that the Bani Saud have amassed some 150,000 troops along the border with Yemen. This figure is disputed but what is indisputable is that many “Saudi” soldiers have simply fled rather than fight. Should the Bani Saud make the mistake of invading Yemen with ground troops, the Houthis will make minced meat out of them. Yemen’s mountainous terrain, like that in Afghanistan, is not conducive to ground offensive. Besides, unlike the “Saudis”, the Yemenis are seasoned fighters and know the terrain well. The Bani Saud have never been able to wage successful battle even on a single front, much less on multiple fronts.

They have opened a can or worms by attacking Yemen. While aerial attacks have caused massive damage, these have not dislodged the Ansarullah fighters or dented their revolutionary spirit. Instead, the Yemenis have seen the ugly face of Bani Saud and their true nature, as enemies of humanity and deprived of all decency.

Similarly, problems are piling up inside the kingdom. How long can the regime hold out in such circumstances? The police are beginning to pay the price for Bani Saud folly. Few would shed any tears for attacks on the police it indicates the level of resentment against the family rule and its horrific crimes.

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