Washington (CNSNews.com) - The suicide bombings of three Western housing complexes in Riyadh last month gave Saudi Arabia "a major jolt" and provided the impetus for an unprecedented crackdown on terrorism, a senior Saudi official said Thursday.

"They have galvanized us. They have mobilized us. They have taken the rug out from under the terrorists or anyone who may have sympathy for them," Adel Al-Jubeir, foreign affairs advisor to Crown Prince Abdullah, said at a press conference at the Saudi Embassy.

"We vowed that we will go after the terrorists and bring them to justice. We will go after those who support them. We will go after those who use religion to justify such behavior, which is alien to any faith, in particular Islamic faith," Al-Jubeir said.

Thirty-five people died in the May 12 attacks, including nine suicide bombers. The dead also included Saudis, Jordanians, Lebanese and nine Americans. U.S and Saudi officials have linked the attacks to al Qaeda.

Saudi police have arrested 25 people in connection with the attacks; other suspects have been killed in shootouts with police, according to reports. The Saudis also are searching for suspects in connection with a weapons cache discovered near the scene of the Riyadh bombings six days before the attacks.

Since 9/11, Saudi police have questioned 1,000 people. More than 300 terrorist suspects were arrested, and 100 are now awaiting trial, Al-Jubeir said.

Thursday's news conference came on the heels of a nationwide advertising campaign by the Saudis to portray the kingdom as a reliable ally of the United States and a partner in the war against terrorism.

Since the 9/11 attacks, in which 15 of the 19 terrorists were Saudis, the Saudi government has found itself increasingly on the defensive against charges that it hindered investigations into terrorist activities and funneled money into organizations that sponsor suicide bombings.

Under U.S. pressure, the kingdom established a commission to oversee charities and has barred cash transfers between banks to cut off funding to militants.

The Saudis also cracked down on extremist rhetoric emanating from some publications, websites and Muslim clerics.

Three prominent clerics who preached intolerance were arrested, hundreds have been removed from their positions, and more than 1,000 have been suspended, Al-Jubeir said.

Defends Saudi aid to Palestinians

In response to questions, Al-Jubeir defended Saudi aid to the Palestinians, including the families of suicide bombers. Over 60 percent of Palestinians live under the poverty level, and Saudis don't discriminate in their giving, he said.

"Are some of those families, families who have had a suicide bomber? Yes. But do we give the money because their son or daughter was a suicide bomber? No. Is that money an incentive for them to commit acts of terrorism? No," Al-Jubeir said.

Al-Jubeir denied the Saudi government gave money directly to the militant group Hamas, which has claimed responsibility for recent suicide bombings in Israel. The Saudi money goes through the United Nations, the Palestinian Authority and the International Red Crescent, similar to U.S. aid to the Palestinians, he said.

However, Al-Jubeir acknowledged that Hamas may run some institutions, including hospitals receiving Saudi aid, and that individual Saudis may help finance Hamas.

Al-Jubeir condemned the Israeli policy of targeted assassinations of suspected Hamas militants as "morally wrong" and something that doesn't achieve any objective "other than further fueling hate and provoking reactions and responses."

"They have not worked," Al-Jubeir said of the assassinations. "They have not deterred anyone. All they've done is provoked reactions, which have led to the death of innocent people. So there has to be another way out of this besides shooting each other or blowing each other up," he said.

Israel's assassination attempt came amid efforts to broker a cease-fire among militant groups and U.S. efforts to bring Israelis and Palestinians together, Al-Jubeir said.

"When you engage in an assassination attempt in the midst of efforts to try to broker an agreement that I would think would be beneficial to the Israelis, that's not wise leadership," he said.

E-mail a news tip to Lawrence Morahan.

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