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Examining Saudi Arabia’s 85 Most Wanted List

In February 2009, the Saudi government released a new list of 85 most wanted terrorism suspects. All of the individuals on the list are suspected of being outside the country’s borders, many in neighboring Yemen.

by Christopher Boucek

published by

CTC Sentinel

on May 18, 2009

Source: CTC Sentinel

Examining Saudi Arabia’s 85 Most Wanted List In February 2009, the Saudi government released a new list of 85 most wanted terrorism suspects. All of the individuals on the list are suspected of being outside the country’s borders. The publication of the list followed the January release of an al-Qa`ida video featuring Saudi returnees from Guantanamo Bay who are now operating out of Yemen. The video was the first public confirmation that former Saudi Guantanamo detainees had returned to militancy and fled the kingdom.

This article seeks to place the list in context and provide a brief overview of the suspects, including travel patterns, suspected current whereabouts, and details of the charges against them. It is based on discussions with Saudi officials and a review of Saudi documents detailing the allegations and charges against the 85 individuals.

This article originally appeared in

CTC Sentinel Combating Terrorism Center, West Point

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