US denies that unfreezing assets calls strike's validity into question

US State Department deputy spokesman James Foley said yesterday that the decision to release the assets of Saudi businessman Salah Idris was not about the validity of the decision to strike the al-Shifaa pharmaceutical plant in Sudan last August. "Our actions against the plant were not predicated on the gentleman's ownership of the plant," Foley said, "I think we indicated at the time we didn't know he was the owner until after the strike."