Saudi govt sees bin Laden link to terrorists' attack<\/p>\n
Agencies, Dubai\/Washington<\/p>\n
United States ally Saudi Arabia said for the first time on
\nTuesday there was clear evidence linking Saudi-born Osama bin
\nLaden to last month's attacks on the United States and called for
\nthe perpetrators to be brought to justice.<\/p>\n
But Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, in an interview
\nwith Time magazine, also warned Washington the Sept. 11 attacks
\nwere meant to provoke \"unmeasured responses\" that could spark a
\nconflict with more casualties and inflame passions.<\/p>\n
Afghan-based bin Laden has praised the attacks as punishment
\nfor U.S. support of Israel, the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi
\nArabia and United Nations sanctions on Iraq, but has denied
\ninvolvement.<\/p>\n
\"There is clear evidence that he is connected with this, yes,\"
\nPrince Saud said in remarks published on Time's website on
\nTuesday. \"This is from the ongoing exchange of information that
\nwe have had with (American authorities).<\/p>\n
\"It is necessary to pursue with vigor and tenacity the
\ncriminals who created this tragedy,\" he said. \"In this regard,
\nthe U.S. has the support of the international community. The
\npeople must be identified, pursued, brought to justice, and all
\nof the world is willing to join in this struggle.\"<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia deprived bin Laden of citizenship in 1994 for his
\nactivities against the royal family.<\/p>\n
Prince Saud's comments were the first public Saudi reaction to
\nevidence shown last week by U.S. embassies to officials in Riyadh
\nabout the attacks that killed about 5,600 people.<\/p>\n
U.S President George W. Bush has named bin Laden as top
\nsuspect for the Sept. 11 assaults and on Sunday launched a
\nmilitary assault on targets in Afghanistan, with British help.<\/p>\n
The Saudi minister, speaking shortly before the start of the
\nU.S.-British air strikes, praised what he called America's
\nmeasured response to the crisis up to that point.<\/p>\n
\"It was a tragedy of such immense proportions that a human
\nresponse of spontaneous reaction might have been expected, as
\nunwise as it would be,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"But fortunately, and it is to the great credit to the
\nAmerican administration and the American people, the response has
\nbeen measured. We believe that this is the right response.<\/p>\n
Pentagon officials, meanwhile, are reviewing the results of
\nbombing over Afghanistan, now into a third day, at the same time
\na jittery American public confronts the fear of fresh strikes by
\nterrorists .<\/p>\n
\"The best defense against terror is a global offensive against
\nterror whenever it might be found,\" Bush declared on Monday,
\njuggling his roles as commander in chief and comforter in chief
\nto a nervous nation.<\/p>\n
\"On all efforts, on all fronts, we're going to be ongoing and
\nrelentless as we tighten the net of justice,\" the president said.<\/p>\n
Separately, as National Guard troops in New York prepared to
\ntake their posts at bridges, tunnels, and train hubs across the
\ncity, officials said New Yorkers -- and all Americans -- should
\nget used to living in an atmosphere of heightened security.<\/p>\n
At the same time, people should continue their routines, said
\nPolice Commissioner Bernard Kerik.<\/p>\n
\"You can't hide in a cage; you have got to get back to
\nbusiness and a normal way of living,\" he said on Monday. \"People
\nshould feel safer now, probably more than at any time in the past
\nbecause of the people we have out there.\"<\/p>\n
New York Gov. George Pataki said the National Guard would join
\nPort Authority police in patrolling the city's train hubs
\nstarting on Tuesday. He said the move, similar to one already
\ntaken at area airports, was not prompted by any specific
\nincidents.<\/p>\n
On Monday, guardsmen patrolled the Brooklyn Bridge, including
\nits pedestrian walkways. Armed officers were posted outside city,
\nstate and federal buildings.<\/p>\n
Also on Tuesday, Stuyvesant High School, located near the site
\nof the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, was
\nexpected to reopen. The day of the attacks, the school was turned
\ninto a triage center to take the flow of victims that never
\nturned up.<\/p>",
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