Three Britons confessed on Saudi television Monday to responsibility for three bomb blasts, two in Riyadh and one in the eastern city of Khobar, between December 2000 and March 2001, in connection with bootlegging gangs, said reports.
The three men, named as James Lee, James Cottle and Les Walker, gave detailed confessions with maps of the three attacks, which left two other Britons and an Egyptian wounded.
The official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that the Saudi television broadcast following its 3:00pm (Saudi local time) news bulletin a brief on “the confessions of perpetrators of the bombings which took place in the city of Khobar and Riyadh.”
SPA quoted Lee as saying that “he and the other two had been hired to execute bombings in Riyadh region and in the coastal areas.”
He added that they received “orders” to execute a blast in Khobar and then two others in Riyadh.
"On Friday, December 25, we headed to Khobar, we went towards Al Aziziah Supermarket where we parked our car after making some rounds in the area. The targeted car was three parkings away. Jimmy operated the bomb and handed it over to me which was kept in an orange carton,” ran the confession.
“The carton was placed under the wipers of the front side of the targeted car,” SPA quoted him as saying.
“As soon as we put up the carton, we left the supermarket, heading towards Riyadh as we heard the sound of the blast. We heard that the explosion was successful.”
He added that in January, “we received the second order to execute the second bombing somewhere in Riyadh."
"The third bombing," he said, "was also carried by us," adding that the location of the blast, Jarir bookstore, was "our choice" as “they” gave us the freedom to choose a suitable place.
Saudi authorities announced the arrest of 12 expatriates in what is believed to be a link to the lucrative business of alcohol bootlegging in the "dry" Gulf monarchies.
All of those arrested were reportedly either members or shareholders of four underground drinking dens in the kingdom.
Ex-British soldier Alexander Mitchell, Canadian William Sampson and Raf Skivens were put on state television in February to confess to two bombings last November that killed one Briton – Albawaba.com
