Conviction of Some Defendants in Khobar Towers Bombing

Saudi Arabia has announced that it has tried and convicted some individuals suspected of involvement in the bombing of the Khobar Towers in 1996, which resulted in the deaths of 19 American servicemen. Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Minister of Interior, stated today on Qatari television Al Jazeera that the defendants were tried and convicted under Islamic law. He mentioned that the verdict will be announced in due course, following judicial confirmation and the king's signature. Prince Ahmed noted that two to three individuals still remain at large and have not been apprehended. He did not disclose the number of those convicted or their nationalities. U.S. officials have pressured Saudi Arabia to identify and prosecute those who directed a truck loaded with explosives into a U.S. military base in Dhahran in June 1996, which resulted in the deaths of 19 U.S. Air Force personnel and injuries to 370 others. Members of Hezbollah Al-Hejaz, who are pro-Iran, were identified as responsible for the attack. Last June, the U.S. issued arrest warrants for 13 Saudis and one Lebanese in connection with this case, although most of them are either free or imprisoned in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have not signed an extradition treaty.