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An Iraqi group says it will launch attacks inside Saudi Arabia if Riyadh continues to promote sectarian violence in the region. The group, which calls itself the Mukhtar Army, has also claimed responsibility for a mortar attack which targeted an uninhabited area of Saudi Arabia on Thursday. It says the attack was carried out in retaliation for decrees issued in Saudi Arabia that insult Shias and encourage people to kill them. Saudi Arabia has been one of the vocal supporters of Takfiri insurgents fighting against the Syrian government. Riyadh also stands accused of promoting sectarian violence in Iraq.

Saudi Arabia Kidnapped Shahram Amiri for CIA, Muslim Brotherhood Missing Iranian scientist Shahram Amiri has taken refuge in the Iranian interests section of the Pakistani embassy in Washington. Here is a chronology of events since he disappeared in June last year. June 2009 The scientist, in his early 30s, disappears while undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca, soon after telephoning his wife in Iran. 7 September 2009 The Iranian government announces Mr Amiri has disappeared. Referring to the scientist only as an "Iranian citizen", Iran's semi-official Fars news agency suggests he is being held in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, and says it holds the Saudi authorities "accountable" for his disappearance. The agency quotes Mr Amiri's wife as complaining that Saudi Arabia was unable to safeguard pilgrims' security during visits to holy sites in the country. 29 September 2009 Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki publicly suggests for the first time that Mr Amiri is being held by the US authorities. Meanwhile, the Saudi-owned al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reports that Mr Amiri has sought asylum in Saudi Arabia. Mystery over Iranian researcher December 2009 At a news conference, Mr Mottaki accuses the US of abducting Mr Amiri, citing "existing pieces of evidence that we have at our disposal". "We expect the American government to return him," he says. Mr Mottaki and the speaker of Iran's parliament, Ali Larijani, accuse Saudi Arabia of complicity in the alleged abduction, saying he was taken from Saudi soil. The Saudis deny the accusation and the US government declines to comment on the issue. "We are aware of the Iranian claims," US state department spokesman Philip Crowley says. "I have no information on that." Iranian scientist 'held by US' 31 March 2010 US television network ABC reports that Mr Amiri has defected to the CIA and has settled in the US, citing anonymous officials briefed by intelligence agents. ABC says the scientist has been extensively debriefed and has helped to confirm US intelligence assessments about the Iranian nuclear programme. Iranian scientist 'defects to US' 7 June 2010 A man claiming to be Mr Amiri appears in a video posted online, claiming he was kidnapped by CIA agents during the Hajj. Continue reading the main story A man claiming to be Shahram Amiri in the YouTube video Iran scientist video: Transcripts "They took me to a house located somewhere that I didn't know," he says in the video. "They gave me an anaesthetic injection." He says he is living in Tucson, Arizona, and says he has been subjected to eight months of "the most severe tortures and psychological pressures". But another video message appears on YouTube on the same day, recorded apparently by the same man, entirely contradicting this version of events. In this video, he says he is in the US to continue his education, adding: "I am free here and I assure everyone that I am safe." He says he is "not involved in weapons research and have no experience and knowledge in this field". Videos worsen Iran scientist row 29 June 2010 A man claiming to be Mr Amiri resurfaces on another video shown on Iranian state television, this time claiming he has escaped from US custody in the US state of Virginia and is in hiding. "Presently, I am producing this video in a safe place," he says. "I could be re-arrested at any time." Iran scientist 'flees US captors' 13 July 2010 Mr Amiri turns up in the Iranian interests section of the Pakistani embassy in Washington and demands to go back to Iran. Iranian state radio reports that Mr Amiri has said in a telephone interview from inside the Iranian interest section that he has been "under enormous psychological pressure and supervision of armed agents in the past 14 months".

Saudi Ayatollah Nimr Al-Nimr Dares Saudi Regime to Attack Iran and Declares: We Are Loyal to Allah, Not to Saudi Arabia or its Royal Family Following are excerpts from a Friday sermon delivered by Saudi Ayatollah Nimr Al-Nimr, which was posted on the Internet on October 7, 2011. Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr is from the city of Awwamiyah in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia. He is an outspoken Shia cleric known for his criticism of the Saudi government and his constant call for freedom of religion, equality, and justice for the Shia minority in Saudi Arabia. In 2009, Al-Nimr said that the dignity of the Saudi Shia is more precious than the unity of the land, and suggested that Saudi Shia might secede from Saudi Arabia. Fearing arrest, Al-Nimr currently is in hiding. Nimr Al-Nimr: �For the past 100 years, we have been subjected to oppression, injustice, fear, and intimidation. From the moment you are born, you are surrounded by fear, intimidation, persecution, and abuse. We were born into an atmosphere of intimidation. We feared even the walls. Who among us is not familiar with the intimidation and injustice to which we have been subjected in this country? I am 55 years old, more than half a century. From the day I was born and to this day, I�ve never felt safe or secure in this country. �You are always being accused of something. You are always under threat. The head of the State Security Service admitted this to me in person. He said to me when I was arrested: �All you Shi�ites should be killed.� That is their logic. The head of the State Security Service in the Eastern Province said so himself. [...] �They are still plotting to carry out a massacre. They are more than welcome. We are here. Our blood is a small price to pay in defense of our values. We do not fear death. We long for martyrdom. [...] �A few months ago, the flame of honor was sparked in the spirits of the youth. The torch of freedom was lit. The people took to the streets demanding reform, honor, and freedom. There are people who have been held in prison unjustly for more than 16 years. In addition, the Peninsula Shield Force and the Saudi army invaded Bahrain. Then there were more and more arrests. �So who was it who instigated strife and unrest? [...] �The strife and unrest in Awwamiya were instigated by the regime, not the people. [...] �We will continue to defend both the veteran and the new prisoners. We will stand by them. We don�t mind being arrested, and joining them. We don�t even mind shedding our blood for their sake. We will continue to express even stronger solidarity with Bahrain. It is our own kin in Bahrain. Even if the Saudi army and the Peninsula Shield Force had not intervened, it still would have been our duty to stand by the people of Bahrain, our kin, let alone when the Saudi army takes part in oppression, the killing, the violation of women�s honor, and the plundering of money. [...] �[The Saudi regime says] that we are acting �at the behest of a foreign country.� They use that false pretext. By �foreign country� they mean Iran, of course. You can�t really tell if it�s Iran, Turkey, a European country, or the U.S., but they usually mean Iran. In December 1978, there was an Intifada to defend the honor of Awwamiya, when the riot police attacked the town. This was on December 10, 1978, before the Shah was deposed, before the Islamic Republic of Iran was even established. �It was in 1978 � four months before the fall of the Shah. A group of people convened to perform the religious rite of taziyeh for Imam Hussein. It had nothing to do with political or security matters, but the security forces arrived and attacked them, and a confrontation ensued. People were defending themselves, as well as their faith and their honor. That night, they arrested 100 people. This was in December 1978, prior to the fall of the Iranian [Shah]. So how can they talk about foreign interferen

[21 May 2012] Iranian students protest against plans to merge Bahrain and Saudi Arabia - English In solidarity with the people of Bahrain hundreds of university students in Iran protested against plans to merge Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. On March 2011, Bahraini government asked for military intervention of Saudi government in order to crush its people's revolution. People have been demanding the downfall of the Bahraini Monarch, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to replace it with democracy. Saudi Arabia is seeking to merge with Bahrain the plan has been criticized by the Bahraini opposition as a move that will undermine the country's sovereignty and independence. Iranian protestors are against Saudi interventions in Bahrain.

[10 July 2012] Saudi Arabia can stop ongoing revolution - English Security forces in Saudi Arabia have killed three demonstrators in the country's Eastern Province, which has been a major scene of anti-regime protests over the past months. The Riyadh regime forces opened fire on a demonstration in the Qatif region of the province on Sunday. Two of the victims were identified as Akbar Hassan Shakhouri and Mohammedredha Felfel, who were among the protesters demonstrating against the detention of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr, who was attacked in his car upon arrest earlier in the day. Several other protesters were also injured in the deadly incident. Since February 2011, protesters have held demonstrations on an almost regular basis in Saudi Arabia, mainly in Qatif and the town of Awamiyah in the Eastern Province, calling for the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, and an end to widespread discrimination.

[05 Aug 2012] Is Saudi Arabia on the edge of revolution - News Analysis - English As revolutions have taken place in the region, the rumblings have been felt in many places and it appears that the next epicenter could be Saudi Arabia. As more demonstrations have taken place in the kingdom, another protester has been killed in the Eastern Province. Also reports say that a Saudi policeman has also been killed. As the violence continues and claims of abuse and illegal incarceration rise, many question what lies ahead in this repressive kingdom as its people continue to seek equality. Are we on the edge of a revolution in Saudi Arabia?

The leader of Lebanon\\\\\\\'s Hezbollah movement says Saudi Arabia was behind last month\\\\\\\'s twin bomb attack on the Iranian Embassy in Beirut. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah told a Lebanese TV channel that he has no doubt that the al-Qaeda affiliated group which claimed responsibility for the attack was linked to the Saudi intelligence agency. Nasrallah also noted that the blasts, which targeted the Iranian Embassy in south Beirut, were related to Saudi Arabia\\\\\\\'s anger toward Iran and its failure in Syria. Saudi Arabia has supported and funded the insurgent groups fighting against the Syrian government. The November 19 embassy bombings left 25 people dead and over a hundred and fifty injured.

State organizations in Saudi Arabia have desecrated the Holy Qur\'an by discarding over fifty copies in Taif city\'s street sewerage canals. According to a Saudi official in the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the incident was reported by a local student, who saw the holy books on his way home in Al-Salama district of Taif. The service company that specializes in opening drainage inlets was then called, and dozens of copies of the Quran were retrieved. A photo that shows desecrated books has now gone viral on the internet and social media websites. This is not the first time the Holy Quran has been desecrated in Saudi Arabia. Earlier this year, the move by prison officials in Al-Haer province to insult the Holy Book led to protests in different parts of the Kingdom. The desecration of the holy Quran in a country, which is the birthplace of Islam, has raised eyebrows in the Muslim world. This week\'s Islam & Life asks: How do certain stories affect the world\'s perception of Saudi Arabia?

[22 Jan 2015] Saudi Arabia\'s King Abdullah dies at 90 - English

Why is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia considered to be the worst country in the world? Who are under the Wilayat (authority/guardianship) of the Taghuti Powers? What all have the Taghuti Powers done to help the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? Who is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia losing to in their current War on Yemen? And who is supporting the insecurity that is present in the West Asian region? Finally, what will happen to all the equipment and facilities being provided by the Taghuti Powers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? The Leader of the Muslim Ummah, Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei, and Shaheed Haj Qasem speak to us about those under the Wilayat of the Taghuti Powers.

Latest News: 15th May 2008 Saudi-Israeli plot against Hezbollah Thu, 15 May 2008 16:36:28 Prince Bandar bin Sultan (L), Ehud Olmert Former Saudi Ambassador to the US Prince Bandar bin Sultan asks Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert to move against Hezbollah. Saudi's Prince Bandar bin Sultan has formally requested Olmert to move the Zionist regime's military forces in the north of the Occupied Lands on the border with Lebanon as a threat against Hezbollah if the latter did not stop attacking government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Filkka - Israel website revealed Wednesday. Bandar bin Sultan arrived in the Occupied Territories in his private plane directly from Jeddah airport to Lod Airport in Tel Aviv. Bin Sultan asked Olmert to do what is necessary to support PM Siniora, offering to bear all the financial costs of any Israeli war against Hezbollah. Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert who is under investigation in a bribe case, said that he could not do so now, assuring his guest that he could not wage a war on behalf of Saudi Arabia, but he will discuss the issue with the Israeli officials in order to carry out military maneuvers in the south of Lebanon. Old News UK bribery disgrace in trade with Saudi Arabia: Former Saudi Ambassador to the US, Prince Bandar bin Sultan received hundreds of millions of pounds in secret payments from Britain's top defence manufacturer with the knowledge of Prime Minister Tony Blair's government, according to the BBC. The payments made by BAE Systems were actually a conduit to Bandar for his role in the multi-billion al-Yamamah arms agreement, Britain's biggest ever export deal signed in 1985, the state-funded broadcaster said it had learned Thursday. The alleged bribes were said to have been discovered during a year-long inquiry conducted by Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO), but which was abruptly halted last December after Blair said the investigation was a threat to national security. The dropping of the investigation also came amid concerns that it might jeopardize a new multi-billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia to supply Eurofighters. The BBC said that the payments, believed to total more than Pnds one billion (Dlrs 1.9 bn), were sent to two Saudi embassy accounts in Washington, were written into the government-to-government arms deal contract in secret annexes. Allegations previously made in the British press have also suggested that Mark Thatcher, son of the British prime minister at the time, was also involved in the deal. The al-Yamamah deal included the supply of more than 100 Tornado aircraft and is estimated to have been worth over Pnds 40 billion (Dlrs 78 bn) over more than a decade. The new claims, to be made in the BBC's current affairs Panorama programme next Monday prompted the head of parliament's committee which investigates strategic exports, Labour MP Roger Berry, to call for a proper investigation into the allegations. Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Vince Cable said that if ministers in either the present or previous governments were involved there should be a "major parliamentary inquiry". "It is one thing for a company to have engaged in alleged corruption overseas. It is another thing if British government ministers have approved it," Cable said

[03 July 2012] Saudi Arabia invested in Syria crisis - English UN human rights chief Navi Pillay says the flow of arms into Syria is "fueling the violence" in the Arab country, calling for an end to the militarization of the ongoing conflict. Pillay did not specify where the arms are coming from, but UN diplomats believe that Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been supplying weapons to the armed Syrian rebels. The UN official claimed that the situation in Syria is "a non-international internal armed conflict," the legal term for a civil war, saying "there is a risk of escalation." While the West and the Syrian opposition say the government is responsible for the killings, Damascus blames "outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups" for the unrest, insisting that it is being orchestrated from abroad. Press TV has conducted an interview with Hisham Jaber, director, Middle East Studies Center, to further discuss the issue.

Netanyahu admits common regional interests between Saudi Arabia & Israel: \\\\\\\"Our relationship with Saudi Arabia is good... Yes, we do have common interests with Saudi Arabia in the economy, regional politics, and other areas\\\\\\\"

Saudi Arabia says it plans to make a major shift in its dealings with the US to protest Washington\\\'s inaction over the war in Syria. The Saudi intelligence chief has also voiced Riyadh\\\'s concerns over Washington\\\'s overtures to Iran. Bandar Bin Sultan has criticized Washington for failing to back his country when it deployed forces to crush anti-regime protests in Bahrain. How divided are Washington and Riyadh over Syria, Bahrain and Iran? Can Saudi Arabia successfully pursue its foreign policies without US support?

International rights groups are calling on Saudi Arabia to allow women to drive ahead of a planned day of defiance against a ban on female drivers. Amnesty International wants Saudi authorities to respect women\'s right to drive. The group has expressed astonishment that in the 21st century, Saudi authorities continue to deny women the right to legally drive a car. Human Rights Watch has also thrown its weight behind the Saudi women\'s campaign dubbed \"Women to Drive\". Meanwhile, Saudi authorities have threatened women not to join the campaign on Saturday. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world which forbids women from getting behind the wheel. Recently, dozens of women have defiantly posted online videos of themselves driving in several Saudi cities.

More bad news for women in Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom\'s Grand Mufti says the country\'s ban on women\'s driving protects the society from evil. Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah also said that allowing women to drive is not the society\'s concern. His comments come as activists in the Persian Gulf monarchy have time and again protested the ban. This, while the Saudi interior minister has assured rights activists that authorities are re-assessing the situation. To this day, Saudi Arabia is the only country where women are not allowed to drive.

Saudi Arabia has sentenced a Shia activist to 13 years in jail and a 15-year travel ban. Human Rights Watch says a judge convicted Adel al-Labbad in the Eastern Province on Thursday. Labbad faced a total of five charges, including disobedience to the ruler and disturbing public order. Media across the kingdom has not yet reported on the sentence. Meanwhile, the Saudi public prosecutor has demanded the death penalty for a 20-year-old man accused of participating in anti-regime protests. Saudi Arabia is one of the most repressive countries in the world where there\'s zero tolerance for dissent.

A US appeals court has put Saudi Arabia back as a defendant in lawsuits, saying it had given support to al-Qaeda prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. The federal appeals court in New York City has revived claims by families of victims of the attacks. Another court had previously ruled that Saudi Arabia was protected by a legal privilege which says foreign countries can\'t be sued in American courts. The US says nearly three thousand people were killed in the attacks. It says most of the attackers were Saudi nationals who hijacked planes and flew them into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington.

24OCT2014 Toronto Candlelight Vigil to stop the Planned Execution of Sheikh Nimr in Saudi Arabia

[14 April 2015] Iran: Flights to Saudi Arabia suspended until abusive Saudi guards punished - English

[05 Aug 2015] Saudi Arabia attempts to cause a widespread hunger in Yemen - English

A Hamas senior official has lashed out at Saudi Arabia for not granting visas to Gazans who want to go on the Hajj pilgrimage. In remarks posted on Hummaas's website, Atef Edwan said Riyadh had allowed thousands of people registered with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank to have visas but not the 2,200 in Gaza who applied through Hummaas, AFP reported. "By ignoring those Gaza pilgrims registered with the Waqf (department of religious affairs) Saudi Arabia is making a political mistake that will have negative consequences on the Saudi regime and the whole region," AFP quoted Edwan as saying. Meanwhile media outlets quoted unnamed witnesses as saying that Hummaas police set up checkpoints across Gaza on Saturday, to prevent those who coordinated their pilgrimage with the movement's rival, the Palestinian Authority from traveling. Since last month tensions between Hummaas and the Palestinian Authority has heightened as the Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas increased the detention of Hummaas' members.

Human Right Abuses in Saudi Arabia - Discussion April 24 From PTV- English

The Arab revolt is gathering steam in Saudi Arabia and Riyadh is responding with full force. In this edition of News Analysis we ask how serious the protests have become and whether Saudi Arabia's western allies are prepared to stay at its side in the face of the storm.

[18 July 2012] Has the wave of revolutions finally reached Saudi Arabia shores - News Analysis - English

[21 July 2012] Rising protests in Saudi Arabia - English Saudi protesters have taken to the streets in the Qatif region of Eastern Province to demand the release of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr. The demonstrators on Sunday chanted slogans against the repressive regime of Al Saud. Sheikh Nemr was attacked, injured and arrested by Saudi security forces while driving from a farm to his house in Qatif on July 8. He is currently in a military hospital in the city of Dhahran. According to Human Rights Watch, the Saudi regime "routinely represses expression critical of the government."

[14 Aug 2012] Yemeni people call for end of US Saudi Arabia intervention ‎- English Supporters of the Yemeni revolution have been taking to the streets of Yemen for over a year and half, demanding an end to 33 years of government corruption which has plunged Yemen into being one of the poorest countries in the world.

[02 Nov 2012] Saudi Arabia fails to protect citizens - English