SAUDI ARABIA : SOME EX PATRIATE WORKERS ARE PACKING UP AND MOVING FROM SAUDI ARABIA FOLLOWING SUICIDE BOMBINGS

Record ID: 189757

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA : SOME EX PATRIATE WORKERS ARE PACKING UP AND MOVING FROM SAUDI ARABIA FOLLOWING SUICIDE BOMBINGS
  • Date: 13th November 2003
  • Summary: (U7) RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (NOVEMBER 13, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE OF DESTROYED CARS AND HOUSES INSIDE MUHAYA COMPOUND 0.05 2. SLV OF GUTTED HOUSES 0.11 3. PAN OF REMAINS OF SUSPECTED SUICIDE BOMBER CAR 0.23 4. WIDE OF BURNT PALM TREE / DESTROYED HOUSE 0.36 5. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) COMPOUND RESIDENT DIANA HEKMAT SPEAKING IN FRONT OF HER DESTROYED HOME "There is no religion, no language, no nationality in the world that would agree that innocent people be blown up and killed like this." 0.46 6. VARIOUS TONY ROUHANA SPEAKING ON MOBILE PHONE INSIDE HIS GARDEN WITH PACKED BOXES 0.54 7. WIDE / PAN DESTRUCTION INSIDE ROUHANA'S HOME AND MOVER PACKING A BOX 1.06 8. PAN FROM BROKEN GLASS ON THE FLOOR AND MOVER TAPING BOX CLOSED 1.16 9. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) COMPOUND RESIDENT TONY ROUHANA "We will sit and see what is going to happen, in my opinion we should not let these terrorists stop us from conducting our job, whatever we are doing. This country has not anything bad for us foreigners to be here, there are bad people everywhere , we should not let them stop us from conducting out day to day work." 1.41 10. WIDE OF NEIGHBOURS SPEAKING IN FRONT OF BOMBED OUT HOMES AND CAR 1.46 11. SLV MOTHER WITH CHILDREN WALKING PAST BOMBED OUT CAR 1.54 12. SMV WOMAN HUGGING NEIGHBOURS AT BOMBED SITE 2.03 13. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English ) REFORMIST Dr MOHSEN H.AL-AWAJY SAYING: "We realise the decrease of support and the sympathy towards those militants because this target was wrongly selected in accordance with the programme of Al Qaeda in general and those militants in particular." 2.21 14. SLV WOMAN ON CRUTCHES WALKING THROUGH BOMBED SITE 2.29 15. WIDE OF DESTROYED HOUSE 2.33 16. VARIOUS OF WOMAN RESIDENT VIDEO TAPING DAMAGE (2 SHOTS) 2.45 17. SLV RESIDENT PACKING BELONGINGS INTO CAR BEFORE BOMBED OUT HOUSE 2.53 18. WIDE OF LOADED PICK UP TRUCK PARKED IN FRONT OF HOUSE 2.57 19. SLV TRUCK LOADED WITH PERSONAL BELONGINGS LEAVING COMPOUND 3.08 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 28th November 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Reuters ID: LVAADMYDH94WRHTXW181EPH26C3C
  • Story Text: Long term expatriate residents packed up their
    remaining belongings from the Muhaya compound after a
    devastating suicide bombing demolished several houses and
    killed at least 18 people.




    The destruction wrought by the suicide car bomb in
    Riyadh last Sunday wrecked the lives of nearly 200
    families. Homes, cars and family ties were destroyed and
    many ex patriate families are leaving the country for good.

    Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack on the
    Muhaya foreign Arab residents' compound. Families made
    homeless lost most of what they had as the compound had no
    insurance to cover the devastating material losses.

    Lebanese-American advertising executive, Tony Rouhana,
    has lived in Saudi Arabia for sixteen years. He heard the
    attack on the compound happen while he spoke with his
    distraught wife on his mobile phone. He arrived home to
    find his house wrecked but his family alive.

    Rouhana has sent his family back to Lebanon and is
    packing up his life in the Kingdom. He plans to watch the
    situation develop in his adopted country and decide later
    whether to return. He is defiant as he temporarily retreats
    to Beirut.

    "We will sit and see what is going to happen, in my
    opinion we should not let these terrorists stop us from
    conducting our job, whatever we are doing. This country has
    not anything bad for us foreigners to be here, there are
    bad people everywhere , we should not let them stop us from
    conducting out day to day work," Rouhana said.

    Almost all the families on Rouhana's street suffered
    losses in Sunday's attack. Dozens returned to the compound
    on Thursday (November 13) to view the wreckage.

    Any sympathy for al Qaeda is dwindling said a leading
    Saudi reformist.

    "We realise the decrease of support and the sympathy
    towards those militants because this target was wrongly
    selected in accordance with the programme of al Qaeda in
    general and those militants in particular," said Dr Mohsen
    H.Al-Awajy.

    Some victims have said they wish to remain in Saudi
    Arabia despite their losses and suffering. Survivors who
    lost their homes are being housed in temporary
    accommodation by the government.

    Former residents are still taking in the vast scale of
    destruction in their once peaceful neighbourhood. Others
    though appear to have had enough and are packing what
    little they have left. There is much speculation in the
    local press about another possible attack, and some
    families are getting out for good.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register