Saudi authorities gave safe passage to three al-Qaida gunmen after the they killed 10 of the hostages they were holding at a hotel in the oil hub of Khobar, a senior security official said.
The Saudi official said upon hearing hostages had been killed, US officials advised the Saudis that letting the militants go would avert a bigger catastrophe.
The US embassy in Riyadh did not have immediate comment on the Saudi official’s account, which dovetailed with witness accounts.
...The escape of the three gunmen, who killed 22 people, including a Briton, in a shooting rampage that began at two oil industry office compounds and ended 25 hours later, has stunned Saudis and expatriates.
Many are wondering how the militants could have slipped away in an area bristling with hundreds of troops.
One reason the Saudi government has given a sketchy account of what happened is that it does not want to be seen as negotiating with terrorists.
The official said Saudi authorities at first turned down the gunmen’s request for safe passage. But then the militants started killing hostages, the official said. He said the Americans, who were in consultation with the Saudis, advised them to let the men go.
Scotsman article
The Saudi official said upon hearing hostages had been killed, US officials advised the Saudis that letting the militants go would avert a bigger catastrophe.
The US embassy in Riyadh did not have immediate comment on the Saudi official’s account, which dovetailed with witness accounts.
...The escape of the three gunmen, who killed 22 people, including a Briton, in a shooting rampage that began at two oil industry office compounds and ended 25 hours later, has stunned Saudis and expatriates.
Many are wondering how the militants could have slipped away in an area bristling with hundreds of troops.
One reason the Saudi government has given a sketchy account of what happened is that it does not want to be seen as negotiating with terrorists.
The official said Saudi authorities at first turned down the gunmen’s request for safe passage. But then the militants started killing hostages, the official said. He said the Americans, who were in consultation with the Saudis, advised them to let the men go.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
