RIYADH, 20 February 2003 — The government has released a Saudi youth suspected by Washington of links to the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, after he was cleared of any terror connections, his father and officials said yesterday.
The government said last August it had detained Saud ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Rashid for questioning after the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a worldwide alert seeking his arrest. He was suspected of being an associate of the hijackers that crashed jets into US landmarks.
It was not clear if Rashid was still sought by the FBI. “My son was released on Monday morning. He is free,” his father, Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Rashid, said. “He was investigated and proven innocent of any links to Al-Qaeda or any terrorist act,” the father said.
He said it was too early to decide whether they would take legal action against the US government for emotional damage.
A security official confirmed Rashid was released after investigations showed he had no links with Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network, blamed by Washington for the Sept. 11 attacks. His case never reached court.
The FBI said a picture of a Saudi passport issued to Rashid in Riyadh on May 29, 2000, was recovered among materials related to several of the hijackers. It said Rashid was “armed and dangerous” and posted his photograph on its website.
“My son is upset about these accusations. He was just released and does not want to make statements,” the father said.
