Saudi Arabia Wants Extradition of Any Saudis Among Al Qaeda Members Nabbed in Iran

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia (search) will seek to extradite any Saudis who might be among the Al Qaeda members held in Iran and who might have had a role in the Riyadh (search) bombings, Foreign Minister Prince Saud said Tuesday.

Saud also said the kingdom had information that weapons were being smuggled into Saudi Arabia from Iraq following the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime last month.

"We will get in touch with the occupying powers there to see what can be done about it," Saud said at a news conference.

Saud said his country will contact Iran about the recent arrest of several Al Qaeda (search) members. The Saudis want to know if any were involved in the May 12 attacks on three residential compounds that killed 34 people. The two countries have an extradition agreement.

"If there are any Saudis, we will ask for them to send them to us," Saud said. "Those who acted in the crime that was perpetrated here, we will ask for their transfer."

Saud said Iran has cooperated in the past on the extradition of wanted Saudis and he expected the same now.

"We have seen nothing to cause us to question their willingness to act within the framework of the security agreement that we have," Saud said.

Iran's state-run radio said Monday that the government had detained a number of Al Qaeda members, none of them senior members of the terror network.

Saud reiterated that his country will go after those who promote terrorism.

"The criminal will be incarcerated. Those who are encouraging him will be questioned," Saud said.

The U.S. Embassy continues to encourage Americans to leave Saudi Arabia.

"The situation here does remain dangerous," U.S. Embassy spokesman John Burgess said.

Burgess said that by the end of this week, approximately 40 percent of the Americans working at the embassy and U.S. consulates will have left. He did not give a number or say how many remained.

Following the bombing, the U.S. State Department ordered nonessential U.S. diplomats and family members out of Saudi Arabia. It also recommended that U.S. citizens consider departing and that Americans defer nonessential travel to Saudi Arabia.