KUWAIT, 13 December 2002 — Three of the four Kuwaitis arrested for suspected links with Al-Qaeda have denied any truck with the banned organization while the fourth confessed to have fought in a unit commanded by the terrorist group, a Kuwaiti investigation report shows.

The four Kuwaitis facing trial are Mohsen Al-Fadli, 21, unemployed youth, Maqbul Al-Maqbul, 32, former Interior Ministry official, Mohammed Al-Motairy, 30, Awqaf official and Adil Bu Humaid, 36, former military officer, Asharq Al-Awsat reported yesterday.

One of the suspects said he was put in a Saudi jail for over two months for possessing some inflammatory fatwa.

The four are charged with having links with a foreign country and its agents and undertaking hostile activities against a foreign state by joining the armed forces of some other countries in addition to working against the interests of their own motherland. The charges also included financing arms training camps and distributing antinational booklets.

According to the prosecution report, the investigators found the first accused Fadli guilty of joining the Chechens fighting against the Russians. He also fought in Afghanistan when he heard a fatwa to the effect that anyone who fought there would be deemed a martyr.

Denying the charge that he fought against the US after joining the banned Al-Qaeda, Fadli said:“ I fought for the Taleban government against the communist Northern Alliance.” He also emphatically denied communicating with any Al-Qaeda operatives outside the country.

However, he admitted that while in Afghanistan he visited Al-Qaeda spokesman Suleiman Bughaith who is currently detained in the Gauntenamo camp in Cuba, the report said. He fought in Chechnya under a Saudi called Khattab, who commanded the Arab fighters there before he was killed. Fadli also told the investigators that Khattab was responsible for arming and financing the outfit. However, he left Chechnya in October 2000 as the terrain was too tough for Arab fighters. Inspired by an inflammatory fatwa at home, he again set out on the warpath in July 2001. He joined the Taleban fighters with the ultimate hope of entering paradise as an honored martyr. Though he fought against the Northern Alliance, he never had come in direct confrontation with the US forces. After the 9/11 events he planned to return home but could not because the borders were closed.

He also said he was acquainted with Mohammed Al-Motairy from Kuwait. Maqbul Al-Maqbul was his old friend who had accompanied him in some of his earlier travels.

Al-Maqbul, the second accused, also denied that he was an Al-Qaeda member. He also did not have any connection with any jihad organizations inside or outside Kuwait. He went to Afghanistan in 2000 where he was trained in handling weapons at a Libyan camp. He also had received training in a camp in Kashmir in 1997. He was in Saudi prison for 65 days for carrying a fatwa on the Sept. 11 attacks.

The investigation report also said he knew Fadli well since 1999 and had a vague acqaintance with Al-Motairy. Maqbul also admitted that he received illegal training in arms but with the sole motive of fighting in the cause of Allah in Chechnya.

As for the third accused Mohammed Al-Motairy the report said he worked in a Taleban army contingent under the command of Al-Qaeda commander Abul Hasan Al-Misri at Kandahar airport. He joined it because of an ardent desire to fight in the cause of Allah. He never met with the top leaders of Al-Qaeda. He returned home after 40 days, crossing the Iranian border. Motairy’s first visit to Afghanistan was in 2000 while he was a university student in Saudi Arabia. He was also charged with distributing prohibited pamphlets he got from some traders coming from Saudi Arabia.

The fourth accused Adil Bu Homaid, denied any connection with Al-Qaeda though he had met Osama Bin Laden while he was in Kandahar. He also denied charges of financing Asim Al-Makki who was suspected to have masterminded the bombing of a French tanker in Yemen and planned to blow up a hotel where US soldiers were staying. He admitted that he had handed donations worth about $100, 000 to Fadli to be spent on charitable activities in Yemen.

He had been to Afghanistan twice. He fought with Taleban in July 2001 after listening to a fatwa urging youths to take part in jihad in Afghanistan. He had met Bin Laden as a popular figure attending wedding functions and delivering speeches in mosques in Kandahar. He explained that he did not join Al-Qaeda because he did not believe in politicization of jihad.