Saudi Arabia renews pledge to cooperate with US
( 2001-09-25 10:48 ) (7 )

The Saudi interior minister renewed his pledge to cooperate with the United States in its fight against terrorists behind the September 11 attacks.

In an interview with CNN, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, Prince Nayef did not comment on remarks on Sunday by a Saudi official that the kingdom would not allow its Prince Sultan Air Base to be used for US retaliatory strikes.

Saudi Arabia was apparently seeking assurances that a fellow Arab country will not be targeted for the attacks in New York and Washington. The United States says Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, believed to be hiding in Afghanistan, is the prime suspect.

"We have been in touch with the US and we insisted that we are against terrorism and we want to cooperate, not only with the United States, but with all world countries. Islam is against terrorism and killing (of) innocent people whatever the reason," Nayef said.

US officials have so far praised Saudi cooperation. US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Saudi officials had provided everything that was requested from them.

Nayef also said Saudi Arabia was looking for better information from the United States in tracking down suspects in the 1996 bombing of a US base here.

"We fully cooperated because the case concerns us, but ... we were hoping to get from US authorities, especially the Federal Bureau of Investigation, better information than what we received in the past," Nayef said.

The 1996 Khobar Towers bombing killed 19 US servicemen and left hundreds injured.

In June, the United States indicted 14 people in the bombing. Some of the indicted, who are charged with murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, are in Saudi jails. The United States does not have an extradition treaty with Saudi Arabia, and Nayef at the time rejected the indictments, saying the kingdom was not consulted.

Nayef said the case needed "precise information which we did not receive," adding that Riyadh and Washington were pursuing terrorists who fled the kingdom.

"They are Ibrahim al-Mughasil and his colleagues, and we are surprised why there isn't a search for them. The US has the ability to arrest them, because according to our knowledge, they were and maybe still are in some European countries," Nayef said.

Al-Mughasil is one of a number of people wanted in connection with the bombing.

Saudi Arabia has said the investigation is yet to be completed, and once it is over, a trial would only be held in the kingdom.