DATE=5/22/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-232645 TITLE=SAUDI/BOMBING (L) BYLINE=DOUGLAS ROBERTS DATELINE=CAIRO CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A TOP SAUDI ARABIAN OFFICIAL SAYS HIS GOVERNMENT HAS RULED OUT FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT IN A 1996 TERRORIST ATTACK IN THE KINGDOM THAT LEFT 19 UNITED STATES SERVICEMEN DEAD. MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT DOUGLAS ROBERTS IN CAIRO HAS DETAILS. TEXT: THE COMMENT CAME FROM SAUDI INTERIOR MINISTER PRINCE NAYEF BIN ABDELAZIZ. IN AN INTERVIEW FRIDAY WITH THE KUWAITI NEWSPAPER, "AL-RAI AL-AAM," THE PRINCE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THERE WAS NO FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT IN THE JUNE 1996 TRUCK BOMBING OF THE KHOBAR TOWERS HOUSING COMPLEX NEAR THE EASTERN CITY OF DHARAN. //OPT// IN ADDITION TO THE 19 U-S SERVICEMEN KILLED IN THE ATTACK, DOZENS MORE WERE WOUNDED. AND THE INCIDENT PROMPTED THE TRANSFER OF AMERICAN MILITARY PERSONNEL FROM THE DHARAN AREA TO A REMOTE DESERT AIR BASE NEAR THE SAUDI CAPITAL, RIYADH. //END OPT// IN FRIDAY'S INTERVIEW, THE INTERIOR MINISTER WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THE BOMBING WAS THE WORK OF "SAUDI HANDS." BUT HE GAVE NO FURTHER DETAILS, AND IT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY CLEAR WHETHER HIS REMARKS SIGNALED THE COMPLETION OF THE SAUDI INVESTIGATION INTO THE ATTACK. A U-S PROBE -- BY THE F-B-I -- CONTINUES. BUT AMERICAN OFFICIALS ACKNOWLEDGE THEY HAVE MADE LITTLE HEADWAY, AND THEY HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT A LACK OF COOPERATION FROM THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT. SAUDI AUTHORITIES HAVE DETAINED A NUMBER OF SUSPECTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE ATTACK. BUT THEY HAVE REFUSED TO ALLOW U-S INVESTIGATORS TO INTERVIEW THE DETAINEES, DESPITE REPEATED TRIPS TO THE KINGDOM BY F-B-I DIRECTOR LOUIS FREEH. //OPT// VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE REPORTEDLY DISCUSSED THE INVESTIGATION WITH CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH DURING A VISIT TO SAUDI ARABIA EARLIER THIS MONTH. BUT AMERICAN OFFICIALS GAVE NO INDICATION OF ANY PROGRESS FOLLOWING THOSE TALKS. //END OPT// IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF THE BOMBING, SAUDI OFFICIALS WERE QUOTED AS SAYING THERE WERE INDICATIONS OF IRANIAN INVOLVEMENT. AND THE UNITED STATES PUBLICLY THREATENED RETALIATION, IF TEHRAN'S ROLE WERE PROVEN. SUSPICIONS OF IRANIAN SUPPORT FOR THE ATTACK WERE BOLSTERED BY THE ARREST IN CANADA LAST YEAR OF A SAUDI MAN -- HANI AL-SAYEGH -- ACCUSED OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE ATTACK. CANADIAN COURT DOCUMENTS LINK THE SUSPECT TO THE IRANIAN-BACKED "HEZBOLLAH" ORGANIZATION. MR. SAYEGH DENIED INVOLVEMENT. HE WAS LATER EXTRADITED TO THE UNITED STATES, AMID REPORTS HE HAD AGREED TO TELL ALL HE KNEW ABOUT THE ATTACK IN EXCHANGE FOR ASYLUM. BUT IN SEPTEMBER, THE U-S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ABRUPTLY DROPPED CHARGES AGAINST MR. SAYEGH AND ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD BE DEPORTED BECAUSE SAUDI AUTHORITIES HAD FAILED TO TURN OVER EVIDENCE THAT COULD BE USED IN AN AMERICAN COURT. THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT HAS ASKED WASHINGTON TO HAND OVER MR. SAYEGH. U-S OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE NOT YET DECIDED WHERE HE WILL BE SENT. THE INVESTIGATIONS HAVE CONTINUED AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF GRADUALLY IMPROVING TIES BETWEEN THE SAUDI AND IRANIAN GOVERNMENTS. THE LONG-RUNNING HOSTILITY SPARKED BY THE 1979 ISLAMIC REVOLUTION IN TEHRAN HAS EASED OVER THE PAST YEAR SINCE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF POLITICAL MODERATE, MOHAMMED KHATTAMI. (SIGNED) NEB/DBR/PCF 22-May-98 11:38 AM EDT (1538 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .