Saudis arrest Bin Laden supporters

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SAUDIS ARREST BIN LADEN SUPPORTERS

LONDON [MENL] -- Under heavy U.S. pressure, Saudi Arabia has launched what appears to be a crackdown on supporters of Saudi billionaire fugitive Osama Bin Laden.

Saudi opposition sources said at least two Bin Laden followers were arrested over the weekend in Mecca. Neither was a Saudi national.

One suspect was identified as a Pakistani national, Shkeel Choudary. The other was identified as an Indian national, Tufail Nizam Eddin. Both were said to have been members of the Muhajiroun group, which represents Bin Laden interests abroad.

Both detainees were said to have resided in Saudi Arabia since at least 1996. The opposition sources said they expect further arrests.

Bin Laden was said to have opposed Western troops in Saudi Arabia. But Western intelligence sources said Riyad refused numerous requests by Washington to cooperate in U.S. efforts to capture Bin Laden.

Earlier this month, Saudi King Fahd dismissed his security chief amid U.S. pressure to obtain Bin Laden from Afghanistan. The analysts said Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki Al Faisal, the liasion with the CIA, failed to deliver Bin Laden to the United States. The prince was regarded as having close ties to Bin Laden.

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-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 16, 2001


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