Saudi Arabia Can't Just Declare War on the Terror They Themselves Created

Commenting on Saudi Arabia's announcement that they would be forming a 34-nation 'Islamic anti-terrorism coalition', prominent Pakistani columnist and political analyst Wajahat Masood warned that Riyadh might have a hard time fighting against a phenomenon which they themselves have done so much to support over the past thirty years.


On Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency announced the creation of a 34-member 'Islamic coalition against terrorism', featuring members from across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, complete with a Riyadh-based operations command center aimed at coordinating and supporting joint military operations. The coalition's aims, according to Saudi state media, will be "to protect the Islamic nation from the evils of all terrorist groups and organizations," on "the basis of the right of peoples to self-defense."

Pakistan, according to Saudi media, is one of the countries which will be participating in the coalition. Asked for comment, Wajahat Masood, a well-known columnist, political analyst, and human rights activist, broke the issue down for Sputnik.

"First of all," Masood explained, "it is necessary to clearly define the concept of terrorism – of who the terrorists are in our understanding (the people of the world, including Pakistanis), and that of the leadership of Saudi Arabia."

"In our understanding," the journalist noted, "a terrorist is a person who, raising his weapon in order to force others to submit to his will – political or religious. He is one who kills for this purpose, who is ready to commit any crime. This is our definition."

"But Saudi authorities," according to Masood, "think of the concept of terrorism differently. To them, a terrorist is anyone who presents or may present a threat to the order which exists in that state. No other understanding exists."

"For this reason," the journalist says, "it is necessary to first determine for ourselves who is a terrorist and, accordingly, which groups may be considered terrorists."

Ultimately, Masood says that he doesn't "believe that Saudi Arabia will fight against terrorism in our understanding of the word. Moreover, it shouldn't be forgotten that this is a government which has done a great deal to support the wave of terror which has swept the world over the past thirty years."...http://sptnkne.ws/arq4
16/12/15 
--
-
Related:

• Pakistan not yet joined Saudi's Islamic alliance, foreign ministry says. The alliance will be led by Saudi Arabia 

• Saudi Arabia Announces 34-State Military Coalition To Fight Terrorism