FBI issues alert for associate of hijackers

WASHINGTON -- Nearly a year after the Sept. 11 attacks, the FBI issued a nationwide bulletin Tuesday night seeking the arrest of a Saudi newly identified as a suspected associate of the hijackers.

The bulletin issued to law enforcement across the country sought the immediate arrest of Saud A.S. al-Rasheed, 21, of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The FBI said the sudden bulletin was based on information developed over the last few days, and it warned police al-Rasheed should be considered armed and dangerous.

"On Aug. 15, 2002, material previously recovered during the war on terrorism were found to be related to several of the Sept. 11 hijackers," the FBI said.

The materials included an image of a Saudi Arabian passport belonging to al-Rasheed which had been issued in Riyadh in May 2000. "Al-Rasheed's current whereabouts are unknown," the FBI bulletin said.

"Al-Rasheed is suspected to be associated with the September 11, 2001 hijackers," the bulletin warned.

A picture of al-Rasheed was posted on the FBI Web site Tuesday night at www.fbi.gov/mostwant/seek info/alrasheed.htm

The bureau has on occasion issued alerts over the last year, but most have involved new terrorist threats and not suspected associates of the hijackers whose activities have been exhaustively investigated over the last 11 months.