Tumultuous events sweep throughout much of the Middle East. A self-proclaimed “Islamic State” – which is neither Islamic nor a State - plagues our region, at the centre of which sits my country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam. This serpent threatens Saudi Arabia as much as it threatens the rest of the world – if not more.
As the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, stressed most recently: “The evils of terrorism must be fought with force, reason and speed.” We have taken action in our country, and on Tuesday the Royal Saudi Air Force joined the international military operation against this latest terrorist group.
Our foreign minister, Prince Saud Al Faisal, told the Global Terrorism Forum this week: “Faced with such serious realities, we are required today to initiate polices and take fateful and resolute decisions to confront this vicious attack with full force and determination, and to act seriously and swiftly, taking into account the element of time and the consequences of inaction.”
Our decision to participate in airstrikes against “IS” over Syria demonstrates our continued determination to destroy any form of terror and further demonstrates our commitment to stand, as we have stood before, during Saddam’s attack on Kuwait, shoulder-to-shoulder with our long-standing friends, allies and partners in the region and in the West. We count the UK amongst those partners as we know they desire the destruction of this evil, which threatens us all, as much as we do.
As the cradle of Islam, Saudi Arabia is highly coveted by those who would strive to take control of our religion and use it for their own pernicious ends. It is such as these who make up ‘IS’, a splinter group formed from a broad spectrum of al-Qaeda affiliates and remnants of Saddam Hussein’s dissolved army and functionaries who share an opposition stance against sectarian and dictatorial policies of Nouri al-Maliki’s regime.
Taking advantage of the turbulent civil war in Syria, elements of ‘IS’ in Iraq headed west across the border. Although condemned by the Syrian regime, the terrorist group was allowed to settle and was used against the Syrian moderate opposition, recruiting misguided, disaffected young men and women gathered from across the world. Now they have headed back to Iraq, with the intention of occupying large areas of the country to pursue their aim of establishing the so-called caliphate.
They are not Muslims. They are not from one nation or political group. They have no cause that any sane human being could ever sympathise with. They are terrorists. Their true mission is to kill and commit heinous crimes against all who refuse to follow their twisted ideology.
Our fight against terrorism began in 1995, when Saudi Arabia declared Al Qaeda a terrorist organisation, now “IS” have joined them in a list of terror organisations we are determined to eradicate and massive financial, military and social means have been thrown into the task of combating such groups. The result has been the defeat of Al Qaeda in the Kingdom and major inroads against networks in other countries. I vehemently refute any suggestions that Saudi Arabia supports these evil people. We have not, do not and will not.
The Kingdom stands against all forms of religious fanaticism, which has wormed its way into regional conflicts. Ever since the Syrian civil war began, we have urged the international community to step in and support the credible opposition to Assad’s murderous war machine and put an end to his regime, warning all along that a radical opposition would emerge and make us regret our inaction. This is exactly what has happened.
And like a forest fire out of control, these terrorists are now spreading their bloody war across Iraq with their eyes set on a goal we will make sure they never reach: the Holy cities of Makkah and Medinah. Their aim is to establish the so-called Caliphate, ruled by a leader of their choosing with the aim of proselytising their evil ideals throughout the Islamic world.
An international coalition of around forty states is now working together to defeat this terror network, as they must. The dangers and implications of international terrorism are known all too well by the Saudi leadership and its people. The battle on which we are now collectively embarking will require time and commitment. Military action is not enough; any international plan must involve a long-term strategy that takes into account the root causes of the problem and the aftermath of its efforts. Only then do we stand a chance of defeating this evil.
Wiping out ‘IS’ is just one step towards a more general and comprehensive goal: an end to the bloodshed in Syria; an inclusive, independent, non-sectarian government in Iraq and a just settlement for the Palestinian people whose desperate plight remains at the centre of Saudi foreign policy. Peace, a just peace for the Palestinians is the only way forward.
Saudi Arabia has come a long way from a desert nation riddled with warring tribes to a modern, united and prosperous nation. But at our heart we have maintained the same goal that we had when we were first reunited by King Abdulaziz: peace, stability and security for our people, for our region and for the world. And we will do everything we can to preserve that. Yet as we look back, we know that our success would not have been possible without the cooperation of our friends and partners in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom