RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's national guardsmen have not sold any arms to Al-Qaeda operatives in the kingdom, Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz said Tuesday, denying a US newspaper report.
| "Nope. Nope. Never happened. Nope." |
The arms we found are not similar to those of the national guard, Prince Nayef told a Saudi daily. A Washington based US daily reported Monday that Saudi officials were investigating suspected arm sales to Saudi-based Al-Qaeda operatives by members of the guard. Weapons seized May 6 at an Al-Qaeda safe house in the Saudi capital were traced to the National Guard, the report added, citing Saudi and US officials. Prince Nayef charged that the report was part of an anti-Saudi campaign and "unfortunately such campaigns assist these terrorists." The report was also denied by the assistant deputy chairman of the National Guard, military affairs, Lieutenant General Mutaeb bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. He is the son of Crown Prince Abdullah, who heads the force.
The arms used by the terrorists are Russian-made, like AK-47s, which the National Guard does not have. The explosives uncovered are Czech-made. The National Guard never dealt with these countries, he told another daily. |