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Saudi bombing suspect passed undetected through U.S. customs
May 16, 1997
Web posted at: 10:38 p.m. EDT (0238 GMT)In this story:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Like thousands of other international air travelers whose passports are checked daily by U.S. officials, Hani al-Sayegh successfully passed through customs last August on his way to Canada from the Middle East.
But al-Sayegh was not just another traveler.
He is suspected of driving a lookout car for those who bombed the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia in June 1996, killing 19 U.S. servicemen and injuring hundreds of others.
Al-Sayegh went through customs that day and continued his trip to Ottawa.
It was there, months later, that authorities learned of his presence and had him arrested. He is being held there until it is determined whether he will be deported, and to which country.
Earlier this week, FBI Director Louis Freeh told a Senate committee that al-Sayegh did not pass through customs during his brief stop at Logan International Airport in Boston.
But CNN has learned that al-Sayegh's passport does, indeed, have the red stamp of the U.S. Immigration Service dated August 16, 1996. The passport, which is now in the hands of his lawyer in Canada, also bears the word "Admitted."
Al-Sayegh could have been arrested immediately
A stamp is not issued until after there is a routine interview by an immigration officer and the passport is checked in computers, which are used to help identify suspected terrorists.
U.S. intelligence officers say it is unclear what information came up on al-Sayegh and if it related to Khobar Towers. If he had been identified as a suspect in the bombing, U.S. authorities could have arrested him immediately.
It is also unclear whether Saudi Arabia already suspected al-Sayegh and if that information was passed on to the FBI. The United States has complained in the past to the Saudis about the lack of cooperation in the bombing investigation.
Customs officials and the FBI say they are trying to determine how al-Sayegh slipped through their system. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania, has already asked the same question, and apparently has received an answer from the FBI.
But Specter refused to comment on the response, which the FBI says is classified.
Suspect may ask to be deported to U.S.
Meanwhile, the stamp on al-Sayegh's passport adds a curious twist to the deportation issue.
Because the passport indicates that al-Sayegh was admitted to the United States, his attorney says al-Sayegh could make a case for being deported to the United States to face charges.
That would be much better, his lawyer says, than being sent back to Saudi Arabia, where he would face almost certain death.
Correspondent Ralph Begleiter contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Judge upholds deportation of Saudi bombing suspect - May 5, 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 26, 1996
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