US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday, October 31 he was pleased that Saudi Arabia had moved to freeze bank accounts of suspected terrorists and their supporters.
Powell said well-publicized complaints from some in the United States that Saudi Arabia was not cooperating with US efforts to stamp out terrorism following last month's attacks in the United States were incorrect. He said Riyadh had complied with every request Washington had made in the fight against terrorists and he praised recent financial steps taken by the kingdom to block their assets.
"They have now come forward and taken additional action that we had hoped that they would take," Powell told reporters when asked about reports the Saudis had ordered specific bank accounts frozen in response to US requests.
"I am pleased that they have taken that action," he added. "The Saudis have been responsive on all of the things that we have asked them to do." "Everything we have asked them to do they have done."
Some US lawmakers and officials had complained that the Saudis were dragging their feet on freezing the assets of groups and individuals linked to Osama Bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda network the prime suspects in the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. — (AFP, Washington)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
