Arab News reports that, foreign media to the contrary, there was no particular terror threat to the Haj in Mecca this year. Thus, the Saudis took no particular counter-terror operations to thwart one, says the Ministry of Interior. Security forces were in abundance during the annual pilgrimage, but that’s always the case, the Ministry added. With close to three million pilgrims, all living and acting within a confined space, I think that likely right.

Kingdom denies counterterrorism operations in Haj
Samir Al-Saadi | Arab News

JEDDAH: The Ministry of Interior has denied reports published in a Washington-based online newspaper that Saudi officials had launched a massive crackdown on Al-Qaeda terrorists who were allegedly planning to attack pilgrims participating in this year’s Haj.

The Middle East Times — a sister publication of the Washington Times which is owned by News World Communications — carried the report on Dec. 16 quoting unnamed US intelligence officials.

The report said the Saudi government’s operation followed alerts that Al-Qaeda planned to launch a bloody assault on pilgrims.

Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, described the report as “incorrect.” “We didn’t launch any huge counterterrorism operation,” he said, adding that there was no intelligence of an attack targeting the pilgrims.

The Times report stated that this year’s pilgrimage began on Dec. 6 under the nervous eye of Saudi security forces that included 20,000 ground troops, flights of combat helicopters and a large number of armored vehicles deployed at key locations.
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