Saudi Clerics Condemn Recent Attacks

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Six Saudi clerics who once espoused Islamic radicalism condemned a wave of attacks on Westerners, part of the kingdom's efforts to rally its people against Al Qaeda's (search) stepped-up campaign to oust the ruling family.

The U.S. ambassador in Saudi Arabia (search) met Monday with relatives of two Americans who were the latest victims of militant attacks: Kenneth Scroggs, who was gunned down in his garage, and Paul M. Johnson (search), who was kidnapped, reportedly after being drugged.

Ambassador James C. Oberwetter said he expressed his condolences to Scroggs' widow and gave Johnson's wife "my hopes for his safe return."

Oberwetter said he told the relatives that Saudi authorities have assured him they were "doing everything possible to resolve this kidnapping case."

A group identifying itself as "Al Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula" has claimed responsibility for the slaying and the kidnapping, as well as other attacks in recent weeks.

U.S. and Saudi officials say the attacks aim to drive off foreign workers on whom Saudi Arabia relies in its crucial oil and technology sectors.

Western diplomats said Monday that Americans and others were leaving in response to the violence, but not in large numbers. The diplomats said some were leaving on long holidays, and others for good.

A Riyadh travel agent said flights were being booked at the elevated levels typical in summer, though it was a little early for vacation travel.

As part of its campaign to try to discredit Usama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network, the Saudi government allowed the six clerics — all of whom have past links to militants and have served prison time — to issue on the state news agency their statement condemning the attacks.

At least two of the six clerics who signed the condemnation, Safar bin Abdul Rahman al-Hawali and Salman al-Awdah, were once close to bin Laden. Bin Laden praised them in videotapes a few years ago, thanking them for their support and for "enlightening" Muslim youth.

In their statement, the clerics called the attacks "a heinous crime" and even adopted the monarchy's description of attackers as "deviants."

"We condemn the criminal acts committed by the deviant group in a number of Saudi areas in which many innocent people were killed," they said in the statement, issued Sunday.

"The nation's theologians are in consensus that it is a sin to kill a life without a right, be it Muslim or non-Muslim," it said, adding that such acts would divide Muslims "at a time ... when other nations are uniting against them."

They also warned against calling other Muslims "infidels." Al Qaeda often accuses the Saudi government of being un-Islamic and allying itself with "infidels" — a reference to the United States and other Western countries.

The clerics were unavailable for comment Monday.

The U.S. Embassy has advised Americans to leave the kingdom, and the British Embassy on Sunday said it was authorizing the voluntary departure of nonessential staff and their families.

Both Scroggs and Johnson worked for Advanced Electronics Co., a Saudi firm that has U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin among its customers. Johnson, 49, of Stafford Township, N.J., worked on the radar systems of Apache helicopters.

The Saudi newspaper Okaz, known for its close ties to the Interior Ministry, reported that Johnson was drugged before his abduction Saturday.

Okaz quoted unidentified sources as saying a syringe containing traces of an unspecified fluid was found next to Johnson's car.

In its statement, Al Qaeda threatened to subject Johnson to the same degrading punishment the U.S. military used on Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.

Scroggs was the third Westerner killed in a week. On June 8, American Robert Jacobs also was killed in his parking garage, and an Irish television cameraman was killed two days earlier.

In its statement about Johnson's abduction, Al Qaeda said it would release a videotape with his confession and its demands. No such a tape surfaced by Monday.

The statement claiming Saturday's shooting and kidnapping was signed by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the same group that claimed responsibility for the May 29-30 shooting spree and hostage-taking in the eastern Saudi oil hub of Khobar that killed 22 people, mostly foreigners.