(Washington Post) The FBI, in an unprecedented move that has strained relations with a close ally in the war on terrorism, has subpoenaed records for dozens of bank accounts belonging to the Saudi Embassy, part of an investigation into whether any of the hundreds of millions of dollars Riyadh spends in the U.S. each year end up in the hands of Muslim extremists, U.S. and Saudi officials said. The wide-ranging investigation into the $300 million a year the Saudi Embassy spends here was launched this summer, just as the U.S. and Saudi governments were hailing a new era of cooperation in the fight against Muslim terrorism. The subpoenas outraged Saudi officials, but questions remain about whether millions of dollars still flow from the oil-rich kingdom to radical causes. The subpoenas were issued several weeks after the May deportation of Fahad al Thumairy, who had worked for the Islamic and cultural affairs section of the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles since 1996. Thumairy's visa was revoked, and he was deported because of suspected ties to terrorists, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security.
2003-11-24 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive