Posted on 09/20/2001 9:41:17 AM PDT by veronica
Bin Laden relatives return to Middle East
BOSTON, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- An unspecified number of relatives of suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden reportedly have left their Boston-area homes and returned to their native Saudi Arabia.
The relatives were advised by the FBI and the Saudi government that for their own safety they should return to the Middle East, the Boston Globe reported Thursday.
Quoting an unidentified Saudi diplomat, the Globe said the Saudi government was worried about an anti-Arab backlash in the wake of the terror attacks on New York and Washington.
While dozens of other Saudi citizens flew home at Saudi government expense, an unknown number of bin Laden relatives are believed to have left Boston's Logan International Airport this week in a privately chartered Boeing 727. The Globe said it understood that five relatives were on that flight.
The Saudi diplomat said the flight and others carrying Saudis were searched by the FBI, but that no one aboard was denied permission to leave. The diplomat told the Globe there was no indication the relatives are considered suspects.
All of bin Laden's relatives have denounced his extremist views. Bin Laden has 51 siblings, members of one of Saudi Arabia's richest families.
Several relatives, including brothers Mohammaed M. bin Laden and Abdullah M. bin Laden, have lived in the Boston area for years, some attending area colleges.
He would have mourned their passing while he celebrated their martyrdom.
Now that they're off our soil, they can be dealt with by the CIA instead of the FBI. The CIA already has lot more freedom of action (no Miranda speeches), and if the various bans on assasination and collaborating with "human rights abusers" are lifted, they'll have even more....
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