Saudi Subcontractors

washingtonpost.com ^ | Monday, December 20, 2004 | wapo

[crushelits]

THE FACTS surrounding Ahmed Abu Ali's detention and possible torture in Saudi Arabia remain shrouded in diplomatic and law enforcement secrecy. Caution, therefore, is certainly in order in assessing the U.S. government's role in the arrest a year and a half ago of this American citizen and in his detention without charge or access to counsel ever since.

But as U.S. District Judge John D. Bates put it last week in a compelling opinion on the case, Mr. Abu Ali's lawyers "have not only alleged, but have presented some unrebutted evidence, that [his] detention is at the behest and ongoing direction of United States officials." This evidence, Judge Bates wrote, is "considerable" though "of varying degrees of competence and persuasiveness." And he rejected the government's motion to dismiss the case, deciding that he needs to know more about the circumstances of Mr. Abu Ali's detention before concluding that the detention of an American by Saudi authorities is beyond the purview of U.S. courts.

Mr. Abu Ali was arrested in June 2003 while taking a final exam at a Saudi university. Around that time, three other Americans were detained as part of the same investigation. The others were extradited and charged here in connection with the operation of the alleged jihadist cell in Virginia that trained for terrorism using paintball. But Mr. Abu Ali was not extradited, though the FBI has suggested that he admitted in his Saudi interrogation seeking to form an al Qaeda cell. He and his parents claim there was no case to make against him, so American authorities -- instead of putting diplomatic pressure on the Saudis to release him -- have encouraged Saudi authorities to let him rot.

[pierrem15]

I don't remember the courts being so solicitous off dual nationals being detained by their own government abroad.

The US involvement is irrelevant since, as a Saudi citizen, he is subject to Saudi law. And if that allows indefinite detentions without trial, tough.

[Max Combined]

"have encouraged Saudi authorities to let him rot."

Sounds good to me.

[Cicero]

This must the first time anyone has complained about the U.S. not seeking extradition of a criminal terrorist.

Even an activist judge is going to find it very hard to make the government seek extradition. It seems as if their only resort is to sue the Saudis for false imprisonment. Lots of luck.