But the biggest shock of the day ..Saudi clerics ignoring directives to attack Al Qaida theology !

Saudi clerics ignoring directives on Al Qaida

ABU DHABI -- Saudi officials said the thousands of government-financed mosque preachers have not responded to directives by the government to attack Al Qaida doctrine and methods.

The officials said the preachers have avoided any reference to Islamic insurgency and extremist doctrine.

Saudi men released from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as well as from prisons in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, listening to a Muslim cleric at rehabilitation center north of Riyadh. HassanAmmar/AFP/Getty

"Preachers only speak about the need to shun misguided ideologies and terrorism when they receive instructions from the ministry," Islamic Affairs Minister Saleh Al Sheik said.

I wonder why?

It was the first time a senior Saudi official acknowledged that government preachers were not trying to stop the spread of Al Qaida in the Arab kingdom.

For the last two years, the Saudi government insisted that the clergy was speaking out against Al Qaida doctrine and trying to stop recruitment.

"They do not discuss the subject until another instruction is issued," Al Sheik said. "This is not the right method. A preacher should know that it is his religious duty to speak out against terror and misguided ideologies as he is aware of what Islamic law says on the matter."

Saudi Arabia has announced several programs to block Al Qaida recruitment. They included the rehabilitation of Al Qaida prisoners as well as the establishment of an institute to train what officials termed "moderate preachers."

"The graduates of the institute are known for being moderate and their ability to influence people," Mustafa Makhdoum, who oversees the institute, said. "They warn people of the dangers of extremist and misguided ideologies.

The institute provides two-week courses for preachers. The courses include Islamic doctrine, computer skills and psychology.

About 55 mosque personnel as well as members of the controversial religious police have attended the course.

SEVEN YEARS AFTER 9/11 ..FIFTY FIVE PEOPLE?

But officials acknowledged that employing these newly-trained preachers would be difficult.

"Preachers should be spurred by their conscience and act with a sense of responsibility without waiting for a circular from the ministry to discuss the issue," Al Sheik said. "When a preacher believes in what he is saying and is in the need of uprooting extremist ideologies his words will be sincere and strongly influence the people."

I think this article truly emphasizes the REAL ISSUE.

It's all lip service to quiet the kufr.

Of course, I'm sure somewhere out there, there is presidential candidate who thinks this is tiny compared to the USSR as well, and should be regarded as a nuisance.