Saudi Arabia, Muslims, Extremists Ideology 

Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries where the fight against terrorism and extremism has yielded real success. This success cannot be explained only by the effectiveness of its security measures, but also by its softer approach in tackling radical ideologies.1 Although religious fanaticism and extremism are as old as human society itself, they have reached unprecedented levels in the kingdom in recent years, resulting in loss of life and damage to property.2 After September 11, 2001, Saudi Arabia embarked on a very aggressive counterterrorism campaign: arresting thousands of people, questioning thousands of suspects, dismantling al-Qaeda cells and killing or capturing their leaders, seizing large caches of arms, extraditing suspects from other countries, and establishing joint task forces with global partners, including the United States. The Riyadh compound bombing in May 2003, however, created a turning point in Saudi Arabia’s fight against extremism.3 Following that attack,4 the Saudi government realized that existing security measures were insufficient and recognized the essential role of radical ideology in motivating terrorists and justifying terror. The Saudi government recrafted its strategy to take on the radical ideologies that foster violent extremism. As a leader in the Muslim world, Saudi Arabia is committed to demonstrating serious determination and responsible leadership in eliminating the mentality of extremism and violence that perverts the Islamic religion 

42 p.; illus.; 23 cm