Saudi Crown Prince Receives CIA Honor for Anti-Terror Efforts

Rasa - Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, has been awarded a CIA honor in recognition of his efforts to fight terrorism.

News ID: 427299

Date: 11 February 2017 - 17:29

RNA - The crown prince was awarded the “George Tenet” medal by CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who arrived to Riyadh late Friday, Arab News reported.

It was granted in recognition of distinguished intelligence work in the fight against terrorism and the crown prince’s contributions toward security and peace.

According to presstv, Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense, and several other senior Saudi officials were also in attendance.

In a statement after receiving the medal, Nayef said he appreciated the CIA honor and framed it as a recognition of what he called Saudi Arabia’s anti-terrorism efforts under the directives of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

“Saudi Arabia rejects and denounces strongly terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” the crown prince was quoted as saying by the Saudi media.

“The kingdom has been keen to combat terrorism based on its conviction that terrorism has no identity and no religion, and from its belief that the terrorists are committing these acts stemming from their deviant ideologies and evil thought,” he added.

This is while Saudi Arabia, where Wahhabism is widely preached and practiced, stands accused of supporting terrorist groups fighting the Syrian government since 2011.

Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen since March 2015 to restore power to fugitive president Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi-led aggression has so far killed at least 13,100 Yemenis, including hundreds of women and children.

Despite Riyadh's claims that it is bombing the positions of the Ansarullah fighters, Saudi bombers are flattening residential areas and civilian infrastructures.

According to several reports, the Saudi-led air campaign against Yemen has drove the impoverished country towards humanitarian disaster.

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