U.S withdraws invitation to Saudi official cited as terror facilitator
ABU DHABI — The United States has blacklisted a senior Saudi official
designated a terrorist financier.
The U.S. embassy in Riyad withdrew an invitation for the Saudi official
to dine with the chairman of the congressionally-mandated commission on
religious freedom. U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
chairman Felice Gaer was in Saudi Arabia over the weekend for her first
official visit to the kingdom, and was scheduled to discuss U.S. concerns
over the denial of religious freedom in the kingdom, Middle East Newsline reported.
The U.S. reception on June 2 excluded a senior Saudi official, Suleiman
Al Buthi, general manager of Environmental Health at the Riyad municipality.
Al Buthi was a former director of the government-aligned Al Haramain Islamic
Foundation, cited as a financier of Al Qaida groups.
"We invited Suleiman Al Buthi to an embassy-sponsored function, and
later we withdrew it," U.S. embassy spokeswoman Rachel Grass said.
The U.S. government designated Al Buthi, 45, a terrorist facilitator
after he was identified as operating Al Haramain in Ashland, Oregon. In
2005, the Ashland chapter was closed after Al Buthi and chapter founder Pete
Seda were indicted on federal tax charges.
"Al Buthi was sent an invitation by mistake," State Department spokesman
David Foley said. "The invitation has been withdrawn."
Al Buthi, who denied helping finance Al Qaida, said he received the
invitation around May 25. At the last minute, he said, a U.S. diplomat in
Riyad telephoned to say the invitation had been rescinded.
"I do not know why it was withdrawn," Al Buthi said. "Perhaps the
mission must have got orders from the U.S. government."
