US pull-out from birthplace of Islam will not deter militants

THE suicide bombings in Riyadh sent a harsh message to Saudi rulers that an American troop withdrawal from Islam’s birthplace has not mollified militants bent on destabilising the world’s biggest oil exporter.

Analysts said that Monday night’s attacks, blamed by Saudi and US officials on Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network, highlight the pressures the Saudi royal family faces in maintaining a domestically unpopular alliance with the US.

At the same time, the kingdom’s ageing leadership is grappling with daunting social and economic problems that could sharpen the Islamist militant challenge.