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Charges dropped against Saudi suspected in Khobar bombing

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Latest Developments:

October 21, 1997
Web posted at: 4:24 p.m. EDT (2024 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A federal judge dismissed terrorism charges Tuesday against a Saudi dissident accused by Canadian authorities of being the lookout driver in the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia.

Nineteen American servicemen were killed and several hundred Saudis and others were injured when the military housing complex in Dhahran was bombed on June 26, 1996.

Acting on a promise made earlier this month, U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan dropped charges that implicated Hani al-Sayegh in a separate bomb plot against Americans in Saudi Arabia. The judge agreed with U.S. prosecutors that not enough evidence existed to prosecute al-Sayegh.

Al-Sayegh appeared briefly in the courtroom wearing bright yellow prison coveralls. He smiled as he heard the judge's decision and was escorted from the room to be placed in the custody of the U.S. Immigration Service.

He now faces deportation proceedings, which could take several months. Officials say it is all but certain that al-Sayegh will be deported to Saudi Arabia, something he vigorously opposes.

"We don't want him to go back to Saudi Arabia," defense lawyer Francis Carter said. "We believe he is under a death sentence right now."

Saudi Arabia has indicated that it wants al-Sayegh extradited, and Carter said a request for political asylum in the United States is being considered.

Suspect claims he misunderstood the plea bargain

Al-Sayegh entered Canada in March and was arrested while facing deportation proceedings.

The FBI accused him of charges unrelated to the Khobar Towers bombing, and questioned him for 25 hours before he was deported to the U.S. under a plea agreement in which he agreed to cooperate in the Khobar Towers investigation.

But prosecutors were forced to drop the charges against him after he repudiated the deal and they were unable to obtain corroborating evidence from Saudi Arabia.

Sullivan

In his ruling, Sullivan noted that al-Sayegh was advised of his right to remain silent or to have a lawyer present when the plea bargain was made, and he signed a waiver in Arabic of these rights.

But in disavowing the deal, al-Sayegh claimed he did not understand the repercussions of the agreement and did not have competent legal representation when he signed it.

His lawyers claim he knows nothing about the bombing. But Canadian court documents say al-Sayegh was the driver of a car that gave an explosives-laden truck the go-ahead signal to carry out the bombing.

Judge refuses to seal agreement

Sullivan also ruled that the plea bargain would not be sealed, despite a request by Carter. Carter said that making it public would place al-Sayegh's family in jeopardy and would prejudice any future criminal proceedings against him.

But Sullivan ruled that public interest in the Khobar Towers bombing was intense, judging by the thousands of letters U.S. citizens have sent the court.

In addition, the judge wrote in his order that al-Sayegh failed to prove that there was any threat to his family beyond "sheer speculation."

Carter said he would appeal to the U.S. appeals court in a bid to keep the plea deal secret. The judge said he would wait a week before making it public so an appeal can be filed.

Reuters contributed to this report.

 
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