In Failed Strike on Saudi Prince, A New Fear of Al-Qaeda's Tactics

The assailant was Abdullah Hassan Tali Assiri, and he was No. 40 on a list of 85 terrorists that the Saudi government considered most dangerous. He was a Saudi but was based in Yemen, where al-Qaeda has been gaining strength. Saudi and Western officials said the attack was planned and launched from Yemen.

Al-Qaeda preyed on Mohammed’s “soft approach” to combating terrorism. The prince is widely known to give personal assurances to militants and treat them with dignity if they renounce al-Qaeda. Those who enter an extremist rehabilitation program are given cars, houses and jobs upon graduation. When Saudi security forces kill terrorism suspects in raids, Prince Mohammed has been known to call the families to console them, according to Western diplomats and Saudi officials.