RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia banned tinted car windows Sunday in a move aimed at preventing militants escaping detection on the kingdom's roads.



An Interior Ministry statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency said drivers will have a maximum of a year to clear their windows -- except for one behind the driver's seat.


Many cars in the deeply conservative Muslim Gulf state have darkened windows to protect the privacy of passengers, particularly women. But officials say militants may have used tinted windows to avoid being spotted by security forces.


Sunday's decree specified that even remaining shaded passenger window must be 70 percent transparent.


Saudi Arabia has been battling a 17-month wave of violence by al Qaeda supporters who have bombed residential compounds housing foreigners, shot several Westerners on the streets and attacked state security forces.


De facto ruler Crown Prince Abdullah, who said in August the kingdom had defeated the militants, described them Sunday as "chickens with iron beaks."


Security forces arrested four suspected militants on Saturday in two separate raids in Riyadh and a village about 90 miles north-west of the capital. One of the suspects captured in Riyadh was lightly injured in an exchange of fire.


Officials said none of the men were on Saudi Arabia's list of most wanted militants.
Tama ba na nung Martial Law bawal ang tinted? I can't recall. Too young.

And public vehicles (cabs, buses) can't have full tints until now, is this right? Ano ba ang ruling?

Supposedly bawal din daw yung full tint sa harap, is this accurate?