RIYADH, 7 October — Interior Minister Prince Naif yesterday estimated the number of Saudis held in Afghanistan during the US-led military campaign against Taleban and Al-Qaeda network at about 100.

Speaking to reporters before leaving for Oman to attend a GCC meeting, Prince Naif said Afghan authorities had promised that they would cooperate with the Kingdom on the Saudis’ repatriation.

He said international terrorism would top the agenda of the interior ministers’ meeting in Muscat. He hinted that tomorrow’s meeting would not discuss Al-Jazeerah television’s attack on Saudi Arabia and other GCC states.

“We’ll discuss the issue of information policy at the upcoming joint meeting of GCC interior and information ministers,” the prince added.

On the two Eritrean military officers who took refuge in the Kingdom last month, Prince Naif said they are still under investigation.

Referring to his meeting with US Coordinator for Counter-terrorism Francis Taylor, Prince Naif said Taylor told him the American government was convinced by the Kingdom’s cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

“He came to affirm the existing cooperation between the two countries in the field,” the minister said.

Saudi Arabia has mainly provided intelligence information and backed US measures to prevent funds being funneled to terror networks.

As the coordinator for counter-terrorism, Taylor also chairs the Interagency Working Group on Counter-terrorism and the US State Department’s terrorism task force.

Taylor’s responsibilities include coordinating US efforts to improve counter-terrorism cooperation with foreign governments. He was appointed to the post in July last year.

Asked whether he believed that the UN Commission for Human Rights should visit Guantanamo to investigate rights violations there before visiting the Kingdom, Prince Naif said: “We cannot make a judgment on this matter except in light of material evidence. And the issue of sending a rights commission delegation there must be decided by the US government.”

He said the Kingdom would continue to make efforts for the release of about 125 Saudi prisoners at the US base in Guantanamo.