STRATEGYPAGE: Counter-Terrorism: The Saudi Solution Will Never Fly In The West. “For the last few years the Saudis have arrested thousands of suspected Islamic terrorists, often because of tips by family or neighbors, and prosecuted hundreds (and tried to reform the others). There have been dozens of beheadings for terrorism. The trials and executions are public. The Saudi approach may be as medieval as al Qaeda tactics, but it has worked in Saudi Arabia and Saudis wishing to carry out Islamic terror activities are generally smart enough to leave the country to do it. With the new laws, returning home, which thousands of Saudi Islamic terrorists have done, is now less of an option.”

Plus: “Saudi Arabia was saved from worse trouble with local terrorists by the growing (after 2003) violence in Iraq between the Sunni Arab minority, and the Shia majority. This attracted many Saudi fanatics, most of whom died in Iraq. This greatly depleted the number of al Qaeda backers inside Saudi Arabia.”