Mar
28
2008
Al-Qaeda Recruitment in Saudi Arabia
Confessions by captured militants also shed light on al-Qaeda operations within [Saudi Arabia]. According to Abdul Rahman al-Rashoud…approximately 95 percent of al-Qaeda operatives are ‘ignorant,’ and most do not observe basic Islamic teachings. They also stated that the organization recruited especially from the young. ‘Young ones are recruited because they do not have sufficient knowledge of the religion or a wise mind that can tell right from wrong.’
Excerpt from Anthony H. Cordesman and Nawaf E. Obaid,
National Security in Saudi Arabia: Threats, Responses, Challenges