Saudi papers criticise al-Qathafi; Washington, London investigate in Abdullah's assassination atempt
Saudi Arabia-Libya, Politics, 6/12/2004

Washington announced yesterday that it is investigating information which remarked plans by the Libyan regime to assassinate the Saudi crown prince Abdullah, a matter which coincided with London's announcement that it is making an investigation on the issue, at a time when London has not proclaimed an official position towards this issue; while the Saudi papers strongly attacked the Libyan leader Muammar al-Qathafi.

The New York Times said quoting an American government official said that Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi, an active American Muslim is waiting for his trial in accusations relating to illegitimate financial dealings with Libya, had notified the FBI he was participating in a conspiracy of the assassination set by al-Qathafi. The official said that al-Amoudi statement came in the course of a legal deal to avoid his trial.

Meantime, the US President George W. Bush said that the US is studying information on the Libyan regime planning of the assassination attempt of the Saudi crown prince remarking that Washington might take measures in case this is proved true. He announced during the final press conference of the G-8 summit in Savana, Georgia " we will make sure to completely get the series of this conspiracy and we are studying that."

The US secretary of state Colin Powell said that his country is still investigating these allegations. He stressed in a press conference held in London that it is premature to assess this matter, noting that al-Qathafi knows what is wanted from his government over fighting terrorist acts.

Meantime, an official spokesman for the British prime minister Tony Blair told reporters that he can not comment, in particular on the case because of the current measures. He added " in all of our contacts with Libya, including the talks of the prime minister with al-Qathafi, Blair clearly explained the need of halting terrorism ultimately and this message was fully understood by Libya."

So far, the Saudi authorities refrained from commenting on news of the assassination on Abdullah while the Saudi dailies criticized al-Qathafi " denunciation of the favors given by Saudi Arabia." In its front page, al-Riyadh daily accused the Libyan leader of " denying favors" concerning the Kingdom which patroned a plan with South Africa to suspend the UN sanctions used to be imposed on Libya since the attack against one American plane over Lockerbie in 1988. The paper said " There is nothing in the record of al-Qathafi that makes of him " moderate man and his cling to leadership led to think himself as an inheritor of Abdul Nasser and then he disregarded Arabs and Muslims for the unification of the African states and last but not least he admitted the crime of Lockerbie and the downing of the French civilian plane and the explosions in Germany and paid great compensations because of his behaviors."

Previous Stories:
  New York Times: Tripoli strongly denies that al-Qathafi ordered the assasination of the Saudi crown prince   (6/11/2004)
  Al-Faisal: They tried to attack me   (9/10/2003)
  Two Libyans try to attack al-Faisal in Cairo   (9/9/2003)

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