Posted on 07/13/2004 10:57:27 AM PDT by Happy2BMe
Jul 13, 12:45 PM (ET) It said Khaled al-Harbi, also known as Abu Suleiman al-Makki, had been on the Iranian-Afghan border and had contacted Saudi Arabia's embassy in Tehran in response to the amnesty. Television showed a wheelchair-bound and bearded Harbi being carried off a plane on arrival in the kingdom with his family. It did not say when he surrendered or returned to Saudi Arabia. A Saudi security source said Harbi was the man seen talking with Saudi-born al Qaeda leader bin Laden in a videotape in which the two praised the September 11, 2001 attacks on U.S. cities. He said Harbi had fought in Afghanistan and Bosnia. "He is big in the sense that he is one of the Saudis that were close to bin Laden," the security source said, adding that Harbi had not been involved in a spate of militant attacks in Saudi Arabia claimed by al Qaeda. Harbi was the third person to surrender since Saudi Arabia announced on June 23 a one-month government amnesty aimed primarily at militants who have attacked Westerners, government targets and energy sites in the world's biggest oil exporter. For over a year, Saudi Arabia has been battling militants loyal to al Qaeda, which carried out the September 11 attacks. "I came in obeyance of God and the (Saudi) ruler... There is no doubt that this is a gracious initiative by King Fahd and his crown prince," the bespectacled Harbi told state television. "There is no doubt this is an opportunity which every wise man who has faith in his heart should take advantage of and return to this country," he added. The Saudi Interior Ministry said in a statement that Harbi did not have any official documents when he arrived at the Saudi embassy in Tehran. The mission had issued the necessary papers for him and his family to fly them home "after coordination with Iranian authorities," the statement said. The ministry said Harbi had been in the Iranian-Afghan border region and contacted the Saudi embassy in Iran "expressing his readiness to take advantage of the royal amnesty." It said Harbi would be taken directly to hospital. The security source said that Harbi was not among Saudi al Qaeda militants believed to be in Iranian custody. Iran is holding several al Qaeda suspects but has not revealed their identities or nationalities. Riyadh has asked Tehran to repatriate any al Qaeda militants it may be holding. Iranian officials were not immediately available for comment.
By Sami Aboudi RIYADH (Reuters) - A suspected Saudi al Qaeda militant, who had appeared in a videotape with Osama bin Laden, was flown back to the kingdom from Iran after he surrendered under a government amnesty, state television said on Tuesday.
Wow, Reuters is really going out on a limb there, aren't they? What do they think, the guy just happened to be sitting there?
It'd be fun to be part of a government that would snatch this guy away from the Saudis and really, really interrogate him at an undisclosed location.
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This new initiative by the Saudis to earnestly pursue Saudi terrorists waging jihad marks a major shift in their previous "We will crack down on Islamic terrorism someday." attitude.
I'm still taking a cautious stance on anything the Saudis do when it comes to "fighting" terrorism.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1170509/posts
I'm sure this one will escape "accidentally" also.
Regards, Ivan
Well when they threaten the princes and their power I think it suddenly becomes a real issue to them, well see.
Now that's an idea. It sure would save a lot of rice and beans if we started with the tenants of Guantanamo and returned the favor back to al jazeera.
Come on now, you gotta admit this is big. You draw more flies with honey than vinegre.
I thought they granted this man amnesty?..Sounds like he'll not be punished at all!
Believe what you want. THis made me laugh.
Saudis run another ring around us.
Are we really that gullible?
Don't buy it. Arrest, shmarrest? Bring out the Comfy chair and the soft cushions.
I don't buy it either. Islam allows lying to infidels in order to protect Muslims. You're right.
"Even More Optimistic Ping
Come on now, you gotta admit this is big. You draw more flies with honey than vinegre."
True, but you kill rats with poison.....this is good news, as far as it goes, but I don't think this guy was the "player" some are trying to make him out to be.
Jihad groupie is my read.
Sounds kinda funny, never heard of such a thing. Anyone who would hang out and be filmed with Osama is messed up. Now he's going to spend the rest of his life in jail. Its a good thing.
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