In section two of our series,we examine the uneasy relationship between Riyadh’s tough stance on jihadis and its reputation as an incubator of violent extremismHa’ir prison, in the desert south of Riyadh, and is not an attractive place. It is surrounded by concrete walls and watchtowers,as befits a facility run by Saudi Arabia’s internal security service. It holds terrorists, dissidents and others deemed a danger to the state, and whose green and white crossed swords and palm tree emblem is stamped everywhere around the sprawling compound.
Armed guards check vehicles and ID cards in a chicane of barriers by the main gate. Military police jeeps block access from the nearby highway. Two weeks ago,Islamic State threatened to ruin the prison after the execution of 47 men, mostly convicted al-Qaida members. Seven had been inmates at Ha’ir before they were taken away to be beheaded or shot. final summer, and a young Isis supporter blew himself up external.
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Source: theguardian.com