Very few terrorists in Saudi Arabia have taken advantage of an amnesty offered by King Fahd one month ago, for terrorists who turn themselves in to the authorities.
The amnesty was a bid to control armed groups who have been terrorizing the kingdom and undermining the leadership in a spate of terror attacks that began in May 2003.
Attacks carried out by suspected Al-Qa’ida sympathizers have cost dozens of lives, of both Saudis and Westerners.
The amnesty, which ends on Thursday evening, guaranteed that anyone who turns himself in would be spared the death penalty.
Four suspected terrorists have surrendered themselves to the authorities since the amnesty was announced on June 23. One of them was wheelchair-bound Khalid Bin Muhammad Al-Harbi, who is said to have close ties with Al-Qa’ida chief Osama Bin Laden. He turned himself in to the Saudi Embassy in Tehran last week. However, he is not considered a ‘hardcore’ terrorist and is reportedly not on the kingdom’s list of 26 most wanted men.
Analysts say the offer of pardon was insignificant in its impact in the war on terror. They say that senior terrorists, many of whom are outside the kingdom, are most unlikely to comply with an amnesty because they are very committed and have a strong ideology.
Saudi officials are meanwhile continuing their crackdown on terrorists who remain at large.
A key advantage of the amnesty, according to Saudi officials, is the valuable information provided by the terrorists who surrendered.