Bombing: Saudi arrests four al-Qaida suspects

Saudi Arabia has arrested four suspected members of an al-Qaida cell believed to have carried out last week’s deadly attacks in Riyadh and said the bodies of five attackers had been identified.

No names were released, but the Interior Ministry said the arrested men, and three of the dead suicide bombers, were among 19 suspected al-Qaida members who escaped arrest on May 6 when their hide-out was raided by security forces.

One of the three housing compounds where 25 residents, most of them Westerners, were killed on Monday was only yards from the hide-out, raising questions about the effectiveness of the Saudi forces hunting the suspects.

More than 60 US agents are helping with the probe into Monday’s attacks, but it is still unclear how large a roll they will be allowed to play.

US officials complained of being denied access to evidence, witnesses and suspects after the 1996 truck bombing of the Khobar Towers that killed 19 US military personnel.

Interior Minister Prince Naif has said the US team was in Saudi to “observe,” but in no way “participate,” in the investigation.

But those comments appeared to be contradicted by foreign policy adviser Adel al-Jubair, who said the US investigators were in Saudi “to help” with the investigation and spoke of a “partnership” between the US and Saudi teams.

King Fahd meanwhile gave the clearest sign yet from the al-Saud ruling family that a period of radical reforms was to be ushered in.

In a landmark address read out on the ailing king’s behalf to the appointed Shura Council on Saturday night, the king promised to expand the scope of popular participation and open more areas for women’s employment, declaring that Saudi Arabia “cannot stand still while the world changes”.