Targeting Saudi Arabia’s ‘soft underbelly’

The frightening rise in the number of terror attacks in Saudi Arabia appears to be aimed primarily at the expatriate community. This seems like a clear attempt to strike at the soft underbelly of the kingdom – its economy. Initially, it might seem the attacks are aimed at causing panic and claiming as many lives as possible. Or perhaps this is al-Qaeda’s promise to follow up on earlier threats to kill as many “crusaders” as they can. Closer analysis, however, reveals a more sinister motivation is driving the recent terror campaign. Its aim is to hit the kingdom where it would hurt the most. Yes, it’s still very much about the economy. The terrorists, said Marc Sageman, a forensic psychiatrist and author of UNDERSTANDING TERROR NETWORKS, are applying the old communist logic, that “you wither away the state,” in order to have it fall. Sagemam is also a former CIA