The Saudi Kingdom accepts no responsibility for the September 11 attacks in the United States, Defense Minister Sultan bin Abdul Aziz said Tuesday, even though 15 of the attackers were Saudis.
He insisted the blame must be borne by individuals and not the state for the "dramatic day" when "innocents were killed" as hijacked airliners were crashed into buildings in New York and Washington.
"If some Saudi nationals abandoned the doctrines of Islam and their nationalism then they must bear the blame and not" the country itself, said Prince Sultan, on the eve of the first anniversary of the attacks.
They "had waged a war against their own country more than any other country and the whole world knows what they did in Saudi Arabia," the minister was quoted as saying by the official SPA agency.
"Some from these groups went off (to Afghanistan) to fight communism ... and became criminals, saboteurs and evil-doers, and that is the truth."
"The Saudi kingdom shelters no criminal or terrorist ... because our religion and our nationalism prevent us from so doing," Prince Sultan said. "Islam rejects and condemns any criminal activity or terrorism, because they are against Islamic sharia" law.
The minister added that a US media campaign against Riyadh did not bother the kingdom "where no one intends harm to anyone, Christian, Muslims or others." (Albawaba.com)
