Militant Khaled Al-Harby not seen as senior al-Qaida aide

[ElsewheresDaughter]

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=265834&category=&BCCode=&newsdate=7/14/2004



RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- A disabled militant who was billed as a close confidant to Osama bin Laden surrendered under a Saudi amnesty offer, the most important figure to turn himself in so far.

Khaled bin Ouda bin Mohammed al-Harby could provide clues about the fugitive al-Qaida leader, though a U.S. counterterrorism official said he is not considered an operational planner for the terror network. Another U.S. official, who declined to be identified, said al-Harby was not a senior member of al-Qaida and called him "an aging mujahideen."

Al-Harby had been seen on a videotape with the al-Qaida chief as he talked about the Sept. 11 terror attacks. He surrendered to Saudi diplomats in Iran and was flown to the kingdom Tuesday.

Al-Harby was shown on Saudi TV being pushed in a wheelchair through the Riyadh airport. Mansour al-Nogaidan, a Riyadh journalist and former militant, said al-Harby was disabled in both legs while fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan. He used to preach in a mosque in Mecca, but left Saudi Arabia for Afghanistan shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks

more...

[democraticinsurgent]

1. fat osama?

was this tape that he was in the infamous "fat osama" tape?

[htuttle]

5. Yes, he was in the Fat Osama tape

He's coming in from the cold, so to speak.

:shrug:

[democraticinsurgent]

7. thanks

you know, this might be kind of a good thing. with this guy's surrender, the fat osama tape gets rebroadcast for a couple of days. we should all make some noise about the obvious fakery in that tape.

[AFSCME girl]

2. Hmmm.....imagine that, not a

senior member of al-Qaida. This "administration" drives me nuts!:mad:

[shoelace414]

3. he's not a close aid because

Our great friend in the middle east (Saudi Arabia) gave him Amnesty, so he's free to live out his life.

[hightime]

4. Update: Saudi Sheikh Turned Over By Iran, Not For Amnesty

In a new development, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper said Wednesday citing a source in the Iranian presidency said Saudi Sheikh Khaled al-Harbim being held by the Revolutionary Guard, was told two weeks ago that he would be sent back to Saudi Arabia.
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"The Iranian authorities gave him the choice of surrendering voluntarily to the Saudi embassy or being sent back to Riyadh," the paper added. "Harbi chose, according to the Iranian official, to present himself at the embassy."
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Well-informed sources he is not a member of Osama's Al-Qaida organization or one of its collaborators but that Al-Harbi is a leading cleric who taught the Holy Quran and Islam to a large number of Arab mujahideen who are not members of Al Qaida.
http://www.jihadunspun.com/intheatre_internal.php?article=10241&list=/home.php&

[The_Casual_Observer]

6. Jeeeeze how could they be serious about this

and report it with a straight face?
Some old diabetic confused "freedom fighter" sees a chance to get some tea and sympathy and the next thing he is UBL's right hand man.