Saudi Arabia has arrested seven Saudi youths suspected of links to Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda network, the interior minister was quoted on Tuesday as saying. “The Saudi youths were arrested a few days ago in Mecca under suspicion of belonging to this group. Investigations are still going on,” Prince Nayef told al-Watan newspaper. He said police seized small arms from the youths. Diplomats said Saudi authorities had stepped up arrests and boosted security in the last few weeks ahead of a possible U.S.-led war against neighbouring Iraq. The Gulf Arab state, a key U.S. ally, said earlier this month it would put 90 of its citizens on trial for belonging to al Qaeda, in what would be the first prosecution of alleged Qaeda members in the secretive kingdom. Some 250 others are being interrogated on similar charges. Washington blames Saudi-born bin Laden for the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, which were carried out mostly by Saudis. Audio tapes attributed to bin Laden and broadcast recently have urged Muslims to fight the “infidel” United States, and specifically mentioned Westerners in the kingdom as a target. Full Story
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