ONE OF the most senior Saudi Arabian Islamist extremist has surrendered to local authorities, becoming the first known such figure to give himself up following the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Officials at Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry said Khaled Hathal al-Qahtani, who figured high on a list of 47 most-wanted terrorists recently issued by Riyadh and had been linked to al-Qaeda by Interpol, had given himself up earlier this week.
The news will cheer security services around the world, particularly in the US, who were hoping that the killing of bin Laden would deter aspiring militants and discourage active terrorist operators.
However, experts said it was unlikely the death of the al-Qaeda leader was a factor in al-Qahtani’s decision.
“There have been quite a few similar cases. It’s more likely due to other reasons. Family pressures often play a very significant role,” said Thomas Hegghammer, an expert at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and author of Jihad in Saudi Arabia.
The exact circumstances of the surrender of al-Qahtani, who is believed to have been a senior member of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular and was operating from Yemen, are unclear. – ( Guardianservice)