JEDDAH, 26 August — Saud Al-Rasheed, the young Saudi listed by the FBI as a terror suspect, will be put on trial if he has any links to terrorism, the Interior Ministry said yesterday, ruling out his extradition to the United States.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday said 21-year-old Saud might have links with the hijackers who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington.
Saud returned to Riyadh on Thursday from Egypt and immediately turned himself in to the Saudi security authorities.
An Interior Ministry official said: "The Saudi security authorities followed with concern media reports about Saud...It was found that he was in the Kingdom and was detained on Thursday for questioning.
The Saudi Press Agency quoted the official as saying: "Preliminary investigations indicate that he had never traveled to the United States but he had traveled to Afghanistan on June 18, 2000 and returned on June 9, 2001.
The official added: "Investigations are still continuing. If it is proven that he has links with terrorism, he will be transferred to the Shariah court."
Abdul Aziz Al-Rasheed, Saud’s father, said on Saturday his son "has turned himself in because he is confident he is innocent and we are confident of the Saudi authorities’ fairness." He categorically denied that his son had undergone any military training or had ever had any links with Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network or any other organization.
The FBI on Tuesday released a passport photo of Saud and said it considered him armed and dangerous. It found Saud’s photograph while examining material collected as part of investigations related to the Sept. 11 attacks.
Abdul Aziz said he would take legal action against the FBI and seek compensation for the damage to his son’s and his family’s reputation. "I will consult with Saudi authorities before taking any legal action," he told Al-Riyadh Arabic newspaper.
Abdul Aziz accused Pakistani authorities of handing over his son’s photo and other information to the United States because his son had gone to Afghanistan through Pakistan.
Abdul Aziz Al-Assaf, a Saudi lawyer, blasted US security agencies for showing enmity toward the Saudi government, people, companies and charities.
"The American Constitution protects freedom and prevents tarnishing of a person’s image," he told Al-Riyadh indicating that the FBI action contradicted the country’s constitution. "In regard to Saud, he has never visited the US and is still a teenager. How can they describe him as an armed and dangerous criminal without any evidence? The CD and the photograph they received from a foreign country are not adequate evidence for accusing him," he added.
Al-Assaf said American law allows individuals to take legal action against the government and its agencies and seek compensation for damages. He advised Saud’s father to appoint US lawyers to file a lawsuit against the FBI and the media, which published the false report.
Meanwhile, Okaz newspaper quoted the FBI as saying that no accusations had been made against Saud. "There is no evidence against him. We called for his arrest after seeing his photo with suspects linked to the Sept. 11 attacks and we wanted to know why his photograph was found with those people," FBI spokesman Bill Carter told Okaz.
