Saudis put on a show for terror summit

[emad]

Telegraph
By Robin Gedye in Riyadh
(Filed: 07/02/2005)

The guests at Saudi Arabia's first international conference on terrorism at the weekend, in the birthplace of al-Qa'eda, were as bemused by their lavish reception as they were by the chaos of its organisation.

Having some 200 experts on the subject attend a seminar in the country that spawned the majority of the September 11 terrorists was of far greater value as a symbol of public absolution for Saudi Arabia than any initiatives that might emerge at the event.

To attract them, the house of Saud put on a show of magnificent excess in the Prince Abdullah Conference Centre, a marble-floored, gold-tapped extravaganza that one veteran diplomat described as the most fantastic palace he had ever entered.

Built at an estimated cost of £160 million and originally intended for one of Crown Prince Abdullah's grandsons, its function was changed just over a year ago when al-Qa'eda was gaining ever more support with its accusations of royal corruption.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/02/07/wsaudi07.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/02/07/ixworld.html

[Skidmore]

1. The Saudis know that Westerners can be

easily distracted with bright and shiny objects.