375. Editorial Note
On November 20, 1979, an armed group took control of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, withstanding a Saudi military counter-attack. A November 21 article in the New York Times reported that the perpetrators were “fundamentalist Moslems believed to be from Iran.” The article cited a United Press International article that reported the Saudi Defense Ministry “blamed the attack on ‛a group of renegades to the Islamic religion’ who had presented one of their number as ‛the promised Messiah.’” (Philip Taubman, “Mecca Mosque Seized by Gunmen Believed to Be Militants From Iran,” New York Times, November 21, 1979, p. A1) In telegram 8041 from Jidda, November 21, the Embassy in Saudi Arabia reported: “The Grand Mosque in Mecca was seized by a Saudi religious fanatic, Muhammad Abdallah, 26 years old, a member of the Utayba tribe. He has approx 300 well-armed persons with him, 13 of which have been captured by Saudi authorities. The captured group included at least one Pakistani. There is no rpt no direct relationship with Iran and Muhammad and his followers deny any Khomeini influence in their actions.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790536–0257)
In telegram 302084 to Jidda, November 21, the Department of State relayed the following Foreign Broadcast Information Service report of a statement by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini that was broadcast by radio in Tehran at 10:30 GMT, November 21: “In the name of God, the [Page 860] merciful, the compassionate. According to reports received, a group of armed people have attacked the blessed mosque in Mecca and the Imam of the Mosque has been shot. This act is contrary to Islamic principles and, in addition to the fact that the blessed mosque is a Muslim sanctuary, the great Mecca itself is likewise a sanctuary. It is clear that certain criminal hands are trying to split the Muslims and make Islamic revolutions look ugly. It is not farfetched to assume that this act has been perpetrated by the criminal American imperialism so that it can infiltrate the solid ranks of Muslims by such intrigues. Muslims should not cease their alertness; they should expect such foul acts by American imperialism and international Zionism. It would not be farfetched to assume that, as it has often indicated, Zionism intends to make the house of God (Mecca-FBIS) vulnerable and create riots.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790536–0118)
For telegram 8041 from Jidda and additional documentation on the seizure of the Grand Mosque, see Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, volume XVIII, Middle East Region; Arabian Peninsula, Documents 201–203.