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Saudis suggest Saddam had role in Sept. 11 attacks
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Special to World Tribune.com
GEOSTRATEGY-DIRECT.COM
Wednesday, October 24, 2001
ABU DHABI — For the first time, Saudi Arabia has hinted that Iraq could be involved
in the Islamic suicide attacks on New York and Washington.
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Iraqi schoolboys shout anti-American slogans in front of a picture of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during a government-sponsored demonstration in Baghdad against the U.S.-led attacks on Afghanistan, October 9, 2001.
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Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz broke Riyad's
silence on the identities of the attackers and their sponsors, Middle East Newsline reported. Sultan is
regarded as the most pro-American figure in the Saudi leadership.
"Therefore, the big question arises: Who stands behind this terrorism
and who carried out this complicated and carefully planned terrorist
operation?" Prince Sultan told the Kuwaiti-based A-Siyassi daily. "Osama Bin
Laden and those with him have said what indicates that they stand behind
this carefully planned act. We, in turn, ask: Are Bin Laden and his
supporters the only ones behind what happened or is there another power with
advanced technical expertise that acted with them?"
Saudi allies in the Gulf region, particularly Kuwait and Oman, are also
trying to divert attention toward Iraq. Officials in those countries are
publicly calling on Iraq to allow United Nations teams to inspect the
country for weapons of mass destruction.
Sultan is engaged in a struggle for succession as King Fahd's health continues to decline. The defense minister's rival for
the throne is his half-brother, Crown Prince Abdullah. Abdullah's ally is
said to be Interior Minister Prince Nayef, who rejected any Saudi link to
Bin Laden.
"Saudi Arabia has never helped any terrorist activity," Nayef said. "If
anybody has evidence [to the contrary] let him produce it."
The statement by the defense minister came hours before the arrival of
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer to Riyad. Fischer met Saudi leaders
to discuss the war in Afghanistan as well as the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. Saudi authorities are said to have moved to stem anti-U.S. unrest
in the kingdom, arresting suspected Islamic insurgents and issuing a
warning to clerics to avoid statements that could exacerbate tensions linked
to the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.
"Saudi internal security in good shape," Prince Sultan said. "The
kingdom enjoys a distinguished history of security and stability."
Saudi Arabia has pledged to support the U.S.-led war against terrorism.
But Saudi leaders, particularly Abdullah, are said to have refused to share
intelligence information on Bin Laden or to freeze his assets.
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