الراجحي ينفي أي علاقة بالقضية ، والبنك الاهلى يمتنع عن التعليق
 

Saudis Assail Lawsuit As an Attack on Islam


RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- A Saudi corporation and charities denied accusations in a U.S. lawsuit that they helped finance the Sept. 11 terror attacks, and a banker warned yesterday that the legal action could jeopardize Arab investments in the United States.

Officials of the Al Rajhi Banking and Investment Corp. and the Muslim World League, which are both listed in the $1 trillion lawsuit filed by relatives of Sept. 11 victims, assailed the action.

"The American-Zionist scheme against the Saudi economy . . . became more clear with this baseless lawsuit," said Abdel Rahman al-Rajhi, vice president of Al Rajhi Banking and Investment Corp.

Al-Rajhi said the suit could result in the withdrawal of Arab investments in the United States and "negatively affect the U.S. and Western economies." He did not elaborate.

"We have nothing to do with terrorism, and our financial transactions are audited by monetary establishments," he said.

The Riyadh corporation is one of the largest joint-stock companies in the kingdom, with capital of $600 million, according to its official Web site.

Al Rajhi and the National Commercial Bank are the only Saudi banks listed in the lawsuit.

Officials at the National Commercial Bank declined to comment.