Riyadh complains about treatment of Saudi nationals by US security agencies

Saudi Arabia has made unprecedented criticisms of the US for its sustained bombing campaign in Afghanistan, treatment of detained Saudi citizens and attempts to connect Islamic charities and contributors with terrorism.

The Saudi Interior Minister, Prince Naif bin Abdel Aziz, said on Sunday: "We wish that the United States had been able to flush out the terrorists in Afghanistan without the current action . . . because this is killing innocent people. We are not at all happy with the situation." In Washington the Saudi ambassador, Prince Bandar ibn Sultan, presented an official dΘmarche protesting at the behaviour of the US security agencies towards Saudi nationals.

The US authorities have arrested and questioned 173 Saudis living in the country, 54 of whom are still under investigation. Nearly 400 Saudis, out of 7,000, have so far requested official assistance to return home following abuse of Arab, Muslim and Third World citizens in the wake of the terrorist outrages in New York and Washington.

Popular anger in the kingdom against strikes on Afghanistan and mistreatment of Arabs in the US prompted the US embassy in Riyadh to ask the 36,000 US civilians in Saudi Arabia to limit their movements. To reassure foreign residents, Prince Naif said the authorities would not tolerate attacks on US citizens or interests. "We will deal with them with resolve and force," the prince said.

He also dismissed accusations published in the US press that the Saudis were not co-operating in the tracking down of assets of Mr Osama bin Laden, the Saudi-born alleged mastermind of the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. Sources in the Bush administration complained that Riyadh was reluctant to clamp down on Islamic charities and financial institutions which have funded Mr bin Laden's network.

Prince Bandar responded by asserting that traces on suspect contributions followed money from the kingdom to the UK and US where the trail ended.

Mr Yassin al-Qadi, a wealthy Saudi businessman, flatly rejected his inclusion on the US list of individuals and organisations financing terrorism.

In an interview with an official Saudi paper, Mr al-Qadi said: "I was shocked when my lawyers in Britain informed me that my name was on the list of people and groups targeted in asset freeze. My name was included without any reason or evidence. I don't have any connection, be it close or distant, with Al-Qaeda or its leader, bin Laden".

According to the FBI Mr al-Qadi was put on the updated list of 39 because he was a founding member along with other prominent Saudis of the Muwfaq Foundation which the FBI accuses of funneling funds to Mr bin Laden.

Mr al-Qadi made the point that the foundation, which operated in Bosnia, "closed down six years ago. But they \the FBI think it is still continuing its activities. All records related to the organisation are available".

The FBI should have asked questions "before pointing an accusing finger at me," he said, characterising the US effort to incriminate "innocent people and groups" as an attack on all Islamic welfare organisations.