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Canada says Hezbollah linked to Saudi bombing
Holds man in connection with attack
March 28, 1997
Web posted at: 9:50 a.m. EST (1450 GMT)OTTAWA (CNN) -- Canadian officials say a branch of the pro- Iranian group Hezbollah was responsible for the June 1996 bombing that killed 19 U.S. airmen in Saudi Arabia.
Portions of Canadian court documents have been released in the case of Hani al-Sayegh, a 28-year-old Saudi Arabian immigrant detained in Ottawa as an alleged threat to national security. No criminal charges have been filed against Sayegh, who came to Canada from Syria.
The Canadian court documents accuse Sayegh of driving one of three vehicles used in the attack on the Khobar Towers military residence in which the servicemen were killed and 500 people were wounded.
Sayegh is linked in the documents to Saudi Hezbollah, a branch of the Shiite Muslim group based in Lebanon and funded by Iran.
Sayegh says he is a Shiite Muslim opposed to Saudi Arabia's Sunni Muslim government, but denies any link to Saudi Hezbollah. Sayegh says he was in Syria at the time of the bombing.
The Canadian court papers also name Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmad Mughassil as the alleged mastermind of the attack.
Canadian immigration authorities say Sayegh should be expelled from the country. This could result in a legal battle to extradite him to the United States or Saudi Arabia. A hearing is scheduled for April 28, at which Canadian authorities must present their case alleging he is a terrorist.
The Canadian documents support Saudi Arabia's assertion that the bombing was the work of international terrorists, not a domestic group.
U.S. authorities have expressed some skepticism about the Saudi view, as well as frustration that U.S. investigators have not had access to all the sources they want to explore.
However, a U.S. official told The Washington Post that Iran and Hezbollah are still being investigated for a possible role in the bombing, and emphasized the sensitivity of the case.
Related stories:
- Movements of Saudi bombing suspect lead to his arrest - March 25, 1997
- Canada detains two who may be linked to Dhahran bombing - March 24, 1997
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