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Date Posted: 22:15:51 05/14/03 Wed
Author: JL
Author Host/IP: pcp01376707pcs.selrsv01.pa.comcast.net / 68.80.69.241
Subject: Saudi Arabia delays U.S. team investigating Riyadh bombings

Courtesies to Haaretz and CBS
By Nathan Guttman, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service

An FBI team sent to investigate the suicide bombings on Western targets in Riyadh has been delayed in Germany as it awaits Saudi permission to enter the kingdom, leaving the U.S. still waiting to test the level of cooperation with Saudi authorities.

The team's goal will be to evaluate the extent of the damage and to begin an initial investigation into the bombings in an attempt to determine who was behind them.

Sources in the American security establishment expressed fear that the delay of their arrival on the scene of the attacks will make efforts to secure witnesses more difficult.

Despite the hold-up, the White House noted that cooperation with the Saudis is good. U.S. President George W. Bush spoke by telephone with Saudi Crown Prince Amir Abdullah and received a promise for full cooperation in the investigation.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer called the conversation "good" and said the U.S. believes that the Saudis will put offer all aid in order to clarify the circumstances of the attacks. In the conversation, Abdullah called the attacks "monstrous" and promised to capture and try the responsible parties.

Last week, after it became clear there were fears of potential attacks in Saudi territory, the U.S. Embassy requested the Saudi authorities increase security around facilities in Riyadh in which American citizens live.

According to Robert Jordan, U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, there was no Saudi response to the American request for additional security.

"We are continuing to work with the Saudis on this issue, but up until the tragic attacks they did not supply the additional security that we requested," Jordan told CBS.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said Wednesday that there were gaps in Saudi security ahead of al-Qaida-linked attacks on civilian residential compounds that killed at least 34 people, including nine suicide bombers.

Saud added that 15 people were believed involved in the Monday night attacks, but had no details on the six who presumably survived.

"The fact that the terrorism happened is an indication of shortcomings and we have to learn from our mistakes and seek to improve our performance in this respect," Saud said at a news conference in the capital.

Saud said he had not received a request from the American ambassador to intensify security measures around the U.S. facilities.

John Burgess, a U.S. Embassy consular official, confirmed Wednesday that Jordan sought futilely to get security tightened around all Western residential compounds in Riyadh before Monday night's attacks.

"We had requested security enhancement for Western residential compounds and what was provided clearly was inadequate," Burgess said.

For example, Burgess said, Saudi officials may have provided extra police patrols for a day or two, but then pulled them. He did not say when Jordan made his request or provide other details of the measures the ambassador sought.

In his news conference, Saud said he had not received such a request from the American ambassador.

"But, in each time the American embassy or any other embassy seeks the intensification of security measures, the government fulfills this request," Saud said.

Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef was quoted Tuesday as saying he did not rule out more attacks.

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