- WASHINGTON (AFP) -- US lawmakers
received a warning one week ago that Saudi Arabia could be the target of
an attack and that strikes like the Riyadh bombing were likely, the head
of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence said.
-
- "We had a briefing in the Intelligence Committee
warning about this about a week ago, that Saudi Arabia could very well
be the subject of an attack. That has happened," Senator Pat Roberts
said.
-
- "It signals to that family over there, the Saud
family, that they are part - or they are a target of terrorism," he
said.
-
- "It also indicates that terrorists really don't
care who they attack. It's just another example of the global war on terrorism
and why this is going to be a long effort," he told Fox television.
-
- Roberts said he agreed with the assessment by Saudi authorities
that the attack was committed by al-Qaeda militants.
-
- Asked about the likelihood of similar strikes in the
future, Roberts said: "I don't think there's any question about that."
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- "They're going to be very global in nature,"
he said.
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- Several Americans suffered minor injuries in the midnight
suicide car bombing that devastated a housing compound outside the Saudi
capital, State Department spokeswoman Amanda Batt said.
-
- She could not say how many Americans were hurt, but said
that all of the Americans registered with the US Embassy in Riyadh were
accounted for.
-
- Eleven people died and 122 were wounded in the car bombing,
which Saudi officials blamed on al-Qaeda militants.
-
- According to the Saudi interior ministry, the injured
included four Arab Americans.
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- Copyright 2003 News Limited.
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- http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7821743%255E1702,00.html
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