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Judge upholds deportation of Saudi bombing suspect
May 5, 1997
Web posted at: 2:06 p.m. EDT (1806 GMT)From World Affairs Correspondent Ralph Begleiter
OTTAWA (CNN) -- Canada's Federal Court on Monday upheld the government's attempt to deport a Saudi man suspected of playing a role in the June 1996 bombing that killed 19 U.S. servicemen and injured hundreds of others in Saudi Arabia.
The court said the government has reasonable grounds to designate Hani al-Sayegh as a member of a terrorist group.
The next step will be an immigration hearing where the government's designation will serve as evidence that al-Sayegh should not be allowed to stay in Canada.
Canadian authorities maintain al-Sayegh served as a lookout for a suicide truck bomber who exploded a device outside the Khobar Towers military apartment complex in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Sayegh went to court to stop the deportation, but did not testify in his own behalf.
U.S. officials investigating the Khobar bombing hope the deportation will give them a chance to question him.
During a recent visit to Washington, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien pledged his cooperation in delivering al-Sayegh to the Americans.
The suspect has given different accounts of where he was on the day that the bomb exploded. He told Canadian officials that he was in Damascus, Syria, at the time. But he later told a reporter that he was in Qom, Iran.
After the attack, al-Sayegh's travel documents show that he made his way through five countries -- Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, Italy and the United States -- before landing in Canada. Canadian officials confirm that they wiretapped al-Sayegh and established links between him and the Iranian embassy in Ottawa.
Authorities believe he was probably not one of the masterminds behind the terrorist crime.
"He's really not that significant. He is more of a drawbridge into the terrorist castle," says Larry Johnson, a terrorism expert. "Nonetheless, he provides good circumstantial evidence of the Iranian tie to the incident."
The judge who decided the deportation case in Ottawa was presented with a thick file of documents -- including al-Sayegh's Saudi passport and identification card -- to buttress the government's claim that he was involved in the attack.
Special section:
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- Suspect in Khobar bombing case fights deportation - May 4, 1997
- Air Force: General did all he could to stop Saudi attack - April 12, 1997
- Movements of Saudi bombing suspect lead to his arrest - March 25, 1997
- FBI seeks to question Saudi about Khobar Towers bombing - March 22, 1997
- FBI chief's trip to Saudi Arabia indicates blast probe 'coming to a head' - November 22, 1996
- Bombing probe looks at possible tie to 1995 terrorist attack - June 28, 1996
- Massive bomb rocks U.S. military complex - June 25, 1996
Related site:
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Special section:
CNN Interactive ExclusiveRelated stories:
- Air Force: General did all he could to stop Saudi attack - Apr. 12, 1997
- Movements of Saudi bombing suspect lead to his arrest - March 25, 1997
- FBI seeks to question Saudi about Khobar Towers bombing - Mar. 22, 1997
- FBI chief's trip to Saudi Arabia indicates blast probe 'coming to a head' - November 22, 1996
- Bombing probe looks at possible tie to 1995 terrorist attack - June 28, 1996
- Massive bomb rocks U.S. military complex - June 25, 1996
Related site:
Note: Page will open in a new browser window
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