FBI Bulletin Links a New Suspect to Sept. 11 Hijackers

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

The bulletin issued to law enforcement across the globe sought the 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 that Al Rasheed should be considered armed and dangerous.

“On Aug. 15, 2002, material previously recovered during the war on terrorism [was] found to be related to several of the Sept. 11 hijackers,” the FBI statement said. The materials included an image of a Saudi Arabian passport belonging to Al Rasheed that had been issued in Riyadh in May 2000.

A senior law enforcement official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, said Tuesday night that Al Rasheed’s picture was found among photos of several hijackers in materials obtained overseas some time ago and recently reviewed by the FBI.

The official said he did not know how long the government possessed the information before making the discovery.

Al Rasheed’s whereabouts are not known, the FBI bulletin said. Several government officials said the bureau doesn’t believe Al Rasheed is now in the United States.

Law enforcement agencies overseas were advised to contact the local United States embassy if they have any information regarding his whereabouts.

A picture of Al Rasheed was posted on the FBI Web site Tuesday night.

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 investigated over the last 11 months.