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British Daily Alleges Nominee-to-Be Saudi Ambassador to Britain Linked to Bin Laden
Sunday, October 20, 2002
The Tehran Times
The International Desk

Prince Turki's contacts with Bin Laden occurred mainly during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan at a time when the Islamic resistance fighters were regarded far more favorably in the West than they are now.

TEHRAN -- TT
Saudi Arabia has nominated its former intelligence chief, who allegedly had several meetings with Osama bin Laden, to be its next ambassador to London. Oxford-educated Prince Turki al-Faisal is likely to take up his post within a few weeks, though he is dogged by controversy, a British daily said.

He is one of several prominent Saudis facing a compensation claim of more than $600bn brought in the United States by families of the September 11 victims, The Guardian newspaper reported on Saturday.

The lawsuit alleges that the 57-year-old prince was among those who helped to fund Bin Laden's al-Qaida network.

The Saudi move came as a U.S. Treasury official set off for talks in Europe aimed at freezing the assets of about a dozen individuals accused of financing terrorism. Most of them are said to be wealthy Saudis.

Arab diplomatic sources in London yesterday confirmed Prince Turki's ambassadorial nomination, but the Foreign Office declined to comment. "We don't ever comment on the protocol process," a spokesman said.

Although this will be Prince Turki's first diplomatic posting, other Arab diplomats in London were enthusiastic about the decision to send such a high-profile figure to Britain.
(More: TehranTimes.com News Source)
2002 © The Tehran Times.

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