RIYADH, 12 May 2005 — The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has denied reports that Saudi students in the US were grilled by security agents in their homes and deprived of access to legal aid. Replying to a question from Arab News, FBI Director Robert Mueller denied that there were any such cases.
The FBI chief was addressing a press conference at the Riyadh Air Base following his audience with Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard.
Mueller said the US travel advisory concerning the Kingdom might be reviewed in the wake of significant progress in disabling Al-Qaeda over the last few months. However, he insisted that the terrorist threat was real and that no country was immune to terrorism.
Mueller said he and the crown prince had discussed joint measures taken by their countries to combat terrorism in the Kingdom, the Middle East and around the world.
“We also discussed the exchange of terrorists’ fingerprints and also better ways of identifying those who have crossed borders,” he said, stressing the need for speedy exchange of information on terrorists.
On the question of US visas for Saudis, he said the issuance of visas is being streamlined to minimize inconvenience. He pointed out, however, that there have been cases in which “the persons were interviewed. But they are isolated.”
The FBI chief’s statements seemed to contradict an earlier report published in Arab News (July 12, 2004) according to which Saudi students spoke of shocking treatment at the hands of FBI. They complained of discrimination once they had identified themselves as Saudis.
Ibrahim Al-Toeimi, a finance and banking student at the University of Tampa in Florida, told Arab News the FBI conducted random searches of his home once or twice a month. “They came and knocked on my door any day at any time. On one occasion, they came to house at 8 on a Sunday morning.” Without warrants, the FBI searched Al-Toeimi’s apartment thoroughly.
The FBI chief paid tributes to the Saudi security forces for their crackdown on terrorists. Mueller attributed the success in the war on terror to the ongoing cooperation between the two countries.
“We understand that addressing terrorists is not just the function of one agency or the function of a single country. It is a necessity for every civilized nation in the world today.”
Mueller reserved his special thanks for the Saudi people who, he said, understand that the killing of innocent men, women and children serves no legitimate purpose. He called on them to extend their continued cooperation to the security forces who have made significant progress in the war on terror.
