http://arabnews.com/world/article77424.ece
Prince Naif urges global action against terrorism A view of audience at the graduation ceremony in Naif Arab University of Security Sciences in Riyadh on Wednesday. (SPA) By GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN | ARAB NEWS Published: Jul 1, 2010 23:32 Updated: Jul 1, 2010 23:32 RIYADH: Prince Naif has called for an intensification of collective efforts on a global level to locate and wipe out terrorist activities. The second deputy premier and interior minister said the Kingdom had foiled at least 220 terror attacks over the last 10 years. Prince Naif was addressing a graduation ceremony at the Riyadh-based Naif Arab University of Security Sciences (NAUSS) on Wednesday night. Prince Naif said a large number of terrorists and criminals involved in acts of terror were being tried in the Kingdom. He thanked Saudi security agencies "for preventing the attacks, which would have caused many casualties had they not been foiled." The thwarted attacks, he said, were targeting specific locations populated by many people and would have caused significant casualties. He said the best methods for preventing terrorist attacks on a global level were effective intelligence, information sharing, and coordinated counterterrorism operations to stop attacks before they are put into operation. "Effective operations require federal, state, local, and international cooperation," he added. "The Kingdom is still the target of attacks, but our security agencies are better equipped to deal with the culprits. We are on a constant vigil to foil any such act." He, however, lamented the fact that many terrorists and people who pledged allegiance to different terror groups were Saudi nationals. Prince Naif emphasized the great sacrifices made by the country's security officers to counter terrorists. He said the efforts of the officers were greatly appreciated by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, adding the leadership recognized the increasing responsibilities shouldered by security officials, particularly since the country's borders have been targeted by terrorists, criminals and drug traffickers. He called on Islamic scholars to correct perceptions of terror and terrorism that have been developed by a section of Muslims. He also spoke about the contributions rendered by NAUSS, an inter-governmental institution operating under the aegis of the Council of Arab Ministers of Interior. He said that the NAUSS has met the need of Arab law enforcement agencies for an academic institution supporting research on security issues. Prince Naif pointed out that the NAUSS had undertaken 476 programs to counter terrorism, including developing research papers and running workshops and events. Speaking on behalf of NAUSS graduates, Dr. Musfir Al-Qahtani said that several programs run by the institution were aimed at educating students and officials about human trafficking and nuclear safety. The NAUSS, Al-Qahtani said, also offered both postgraduate degrees and short-term training. As a member of the Untied Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Program network (PNI), NAUSS supports joint activities and collaboration among its members, he added. He recounted the recent visit of NAUSS officials and students to French city Lyon, where they visited Interpol headquarters, exchanged information with its officials and visited French universities with an aim to boost cooperation with them in the field of security sciences. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
