Almost half of all Saudis said in a poll conducted last year that they have a favorable view of Osama bin Laden’s sermons and rhetoric, but fewer than 5 percent thought it was a good idea for bin Laden to rule the Arabian Peninsula. The poll involved interviews with more than 15,000 Saudis and was overseen by Nawaf Obaid, a Saudi national security consultant. It was conducted between August and November 2003, after simultaneous suicide attacks in May 2003 when 36 people were killed in Riyadh. Obaid said he only recently decided to reveal the poll results because he felt the public needed to know about them.”I was surprised [at the results], especially after the bombings,” Obaid told CNN. The question put to Saudi citizens was “What is your opinion of Osama bin Laden’s sermons and rhetoric?” Full Story
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