"A number of elements... "

"... Saudi Arabia blamed “a number of elements” for trying to provoke violence by firing on security forces in Awwamiya, a Shiite village in the nation’s eastern oil-producing region...
Saudi security forces killed one Shiite protester in Awwamiya on Feb. 10 after being fired upon, the Saudi Press Agency reported, citing an unidentified police spokesman. A day earlier a Shiite protester was killed and three wounded in a gun battle with police in al-Qatif, also in the eastern region, the news agency said.
Saudi forces and Shiite protesters have clashed in the Eastern Province since October, when 11 Saudi security personnel were injured in an attack by gunmen on motorcycles. Seven Shiite protesters have been killed since November, according to figures provided by Human Rights First Society...
U.S. citizens should continue to “exercise caution” and be aware of the potential for protests that sometimes result in violence” if living in or traveling to Awwamiya, Safwa and Saihat in the Eastern Province, the U.S. Consulate General in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, said in an e-mailed message today...The U.S. State Department noted in a human-rights report on Saudi Arabia published in 2009 that Shiites in the kingdom face “significant political, economic, legal, social and religious discrimination condoned by the government.” (ain't that sweet!)