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Qatari Royal Family Linked to Al-Qaeda
American authorities say Khalid Shaikh Mohammed masterminded behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks for Osama bin Laden, and is now considered bin Laden's second in command. In 1996, the FBI tracked Mohammed, under indictment on charges of terrorism, to Qatar's capital city, Doha, and was within hours of capturing him. According to American intelligence officials, Abdallah bin Khalid al-Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family tipped off Mohammed. He is listed on government Web sites as the current minister of the Interior for Qatar and is known as a radical Islamic fundamentalist with ties to al Qaeda. Mohammed is believed to have fled Qatar with a passport provided by that country's government. He is also believed to have been given a home in Qatar as well as a job at the Department of Public Water Works. Officials also said bin Laden himself visited Abdallah bin Khalid al-Thani in Qatar between the years of 1996 and 2000. One former CIA official who preferred to remain anonymous said the connection went beyond al-Thani and there were others in the Qatari royal family who were sympathetic and provided safe havens for al Qaeda. "We had an opportunity to pick up a very, very bad man and a very dangerous man," said Cloonan. "He still to this day has an impact on U.S. national security." It's an extremely sensitive situation for the U.S. military, given the role Qatar would play in a war against Iraq. The government of Qatar or its interior minister didn't return repeated calls for comment. Posted by: Paul 2003-02-08 |
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