Amnesty Report Slams Saudi 'Abuses'

— DUBAI, July 23, 2009 -- Amnesty International released a damning report on Wednesday accusing Saudi Arabia of "a sustained assault on human rights under the facade of countering terrorism." The human rights group cited thousands of arrests in virtual secrecy and confessions extracted under torture. The report also alleges Saudi authorities use counter-terrorism arrests as a cover to silence critics of the regime, suppressing freedom of expression and association.

"Detainees are held with no idea of what is going to happen to them…most are held incommunicado for years without trial, and are denied access to lawyers and the courts to challenge the legality of their detention," said Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Program, in a statement.

Some analysts say the harsh tactics and human rights allegations are a tradeoff for what is considered a successful counterterrorism effort. Saudi authorities, they note, are getting the same criticisms the U.S. and others have faced.

"I don't think it's any different from the typical balance between protecting your population and taking out terrorist cells," said Dr. Kenneth Katzman of the U.S. Congressional Research Service. "Al Qaeda and its supporters posed a very significant threat to the Kingdom's stability…they had a real problem brewing."

"There is a rigorous review of the individuals involved. It's not haphazard," said Dr. Theodore Karasik, a security expert at the Institute for Near East & Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA) a Dubai-based think tank. He dismissed the impact of Wednesday's report, saying Saudi authorities are comfortable with the means they use to curb domestic terrorism.

"From the Saudi point of view they have not violated anything...they are going to mitigate any threat to the state, no matter what cost," he said.

Lamri Chirouf, a researcher who worked on Wednesday's report, says Saudi Arabia is bound by international agreements to respect human rights within its security objectives.

"The UN framework for fighting terrorism is very explicit that human rights have to be part of this process…Saudi Arabia is part of the international community and a member of the UN Human Rights Council. That means a responsibility to uphold those conventions," Chirouf told ABC News.

Over the past decade Saudi Arabia saw a rise in terror attacks, at a peak rate of roughly one per week in 2004 and an ongoing threat of strikes on the Kingdom's oil fields. Observers say Al Qaeda lost public support as it was seen turning its weapons on Saudis and fellow Muslims. The shift in sympathies helped state security round up thousands of suspected jihadi, including senior leaders of Al Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula. The result was an abrupt end to terror attacks since 2006.

Dr. Mustafa Alani, Director of Security and Terrorism Studies at the Gulf Research Center, says Saudi authorities group terror detainees into three categories: the sympathizers and supporters, who make up the majority of those arrested; the mid-level jihadi, involved in attacks but open to reassessing their commitment; and the hard-core believers and leaders unlikely to change their ideology. Once in state custody members of the first two groups are mostly directed to rehabilitation programs, says Alani. Members of the third are held longer, some facing trial and often sentenced to 15 to 20 years in prison.

International Negligence or Saudi Success Story?

Amnesty International says the international community has failed to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for human rights abuses in its counterterrorism program. The allegation comes as many countries, including the United States, have hailed Saudi efforts as a success.

"There's a public praise of the Saudis, especially the rehabilitation system," said Alani. The program, touted by the U.S. as a model for others, combines ideological re-orientation with economic incentives – sometimes cash, a house, a car, even a wife – in hopes of setting them on a clean track. An estimated 3,000 Saudis have been through the program, of which between 1 percent to 10 percent are believed return to terrorism.

Part of Saudi Arabia's perceived success has involved driving out terrorists from its borders, securing the Kingdom but creating the conditions for them to regroup in neighbouring Yemen. The influx of jihadis from Saudi Arabia, along with rampant poverty and a weak state, made Yemen the new headquarters for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Earlier this year Saudi officials said they now fear cross-border attacks from Yemen's jihadis.

"The Saudi branch has now been established officially in Yemen because they can't operate in the Kingdom," said Alani. "It's a sign of success."