Saudi fighters may be in Iraq, admits Minister

Saudi fighters may have infiltrated neighbouring Iraq, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef has acknowledged for the first time.

In the first such announcement by a Saudi official, Prince Nayef acknowledged that Saudis might have infiltrated Iraq to join the fight there.

Saudi officials previously have vehemently denied that.

Iraqi officials, however, have repeatedly said Saudis were involved in the fighting in Iraq.

Prince Nayef said in Riyadh the Saudi government had not been notified of the detention of any Saudis in Iraq.

“Surely, there are Saudis,” he said. “But the number, and how (they got in to Iraq) is not available to us now.”

Saudi newspapers have published obituaries and news of funerals held by Saudi families for at least four Saudis said to have died fighting the US-led occupation in Iraq.

Iraq was expected to raise the subject of infiltration at a gathering of foreign ministers of countries neighbouring Iraq, due to be held on July 21 in Cairo.

Besides the Saudis, Iraq has said it has in custody 26 Syrians, 14 Iranians, 12 Egyptians, nine Sudanese, five Palestinians, five Yemenis, five Jordanians, five Tunisians, a Lebanese, a Moroccan, a Turk and an Afghan.

Prince Nayef also said Saudi followers of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror network are “being dealt with”.

He warned there would be no extension to the one-month limited amnesty announced on June 23 that would spare the lives of militants who surrender to authorities.