Posted on 10/16/2001 7:06:09 AM PDT by veronica
Saudis protest at treatment of their citizens in US
RIYADH (R) — Saudi Arabia has protested to the US government about alleged maltreatment of its citizens by security personnel in the United States following last month's suicide attacks, Saudi newspapers said on Monday. The Arabic daily Okaz said Saudi Arabia's ambassador in Washington, Prince Bandar Ben Sultan, had delivered a letter of protest against “excessive behaviour by American security agencies in relation to Saudis.”
It also quoted embassy officials as saying that US authorities had so far arrested and questioned 173 Saudis living or studying in the United States in connection with the attacks, which left more than 5,400 people dead or missing.
“Fifty-four of them are still under investigation,” Ahmed Qattan, director of Prince Bandar's office, told Okaz. His remarks were also carried by the newspaper's sister English publication, the Arab News.
“The Saudis in detention are generally in a satisfactory condition, despite individual cases of excessive interrogation and maltreatment by US authorities,” Qattan said.
The FBI has released the names and pictures of 19 Arabs suspected of hijacking the commercial airliners, which were slammed into the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on Sept. 11. Most carried Saudi identification.
Saudi suspects
But Qattan said Prince Bandar had told US authorities that a number of the Saudi suspects were either alive in the kingdom or had died long ago.
“The presence of Saudi passengers on board the hijacked plane does not mean they were behind the attack. We have to wait until the investigations are completed before we can find out who the perpetrators are,” he said.
Interior Minister Prince Nayef also said in remarks published on Monday that it was not clear if Saudis were actually involved in the attacks.
“There were more than 600 passengers on the four hijacked planes. We are still wondering why they have singled out Arabs, especially Saudis,” the Arab News quoted him as saying.
“We are against all terrorists...but we still have not received any confirmation from US authorities about the involvement of Saudis in the attacks,” he added.
Qattan said the Saudi embassy had helped 395 Saudis return to the kingdom since the attacks. It had also appointed lawyers to defend all Saudis detained since then.
Most had been detained over visa complications and traffic violations, the newspapers said. Qattan advised Saudis living in the United States to make sure everything connected with their stay was legal.
Saudi newspapers have published many stories of harassment of Arab and Saudi nationals in the United States and other Western countries during the past few weeks.
The Arab News said a Saudi woman from a prominent business family in Jeddah said she was manhandled by security officers at a London airport.
Richard W.
Fine.
When a Taliban-like organization attempts to topple the House of Saud, we can just shake our heads and say, "We're so sorry..."
What a bunch of ungrateful b_stards.
Who do they think did it?
Barbara Olson & Todd Beamer?
This quote seems outrageous. Do they have liberal PR firms working for them these days?
Yes, since the Gulf War, at least. Probably longer.
Gee, let's see: could our "singling out" of Arabs come from the fact that the passengers and stewardesses described their appearance, seat numbers and we heard them talking? And were not their countries of origin not established? Can you say Saudi Arabia? Could the letters in Atta's luggage, written in Arabic language, be of any help in your understanding of our "inexplicable" profiling of Arabs?
Maybe I am easy, but I am pretty convinced. Get out of your bathrobes and open your eyes! This is a confirmed no brainer!
You're mad.
So sad.
Too bad!
The U.S. of A.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.