ABU DHABI — Saudi Arabia has placed its
oil facilities on alert for a terrorist attack.
The Saudi Interior Ministry said the kingdom's oil facilities were
placed on alert over the weekend. Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al
Turki said oil installations were deemed a "high-probability potential
target."
On Oct. 26, Saudi security forces arrested two suspected Al
Qaida-aligned insurgents at Sajir, 300 kilometers west of Riyad. Officials
said one of the insurgents was said to have completed studies at King Fahd
University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, in the heart of the
oil-rich Eastern Province.
The United States has discussed threats to Saudi oil facilities. The
official Saudi Press Agency said CIA director Michael Hayden held talks with
Saudi intelligence leaders over the last few days.
Officials said Iran may be behind plans for an attack.