February 23, 2001 

U.S. investigators have identified a senior Iranian official as one of some 
two dozen suspects responsible for the 1996 bombing at the Khobar Towers 
military complex in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 U.S. servicemen, CBS News 
reported on Friday. Citing unnamed sources, CBS said federal investigators 
had identified Ahmad Sherifi, a senior member of the Iranian Revolutionary 
Guard, as one of those responsible for planning and carrying out the attack 
in Dhahran. CBS said several of the suspects linked to the attack were 
believed to be in Iran. The White House and Pentagon have been briefed on the 
case and when the final elements of the investigation are complete, Attorney 
General John Ashcroft is expected to present the findings to President George 
W. Bush, CBS reported. In January, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef said 
"a handful" of Saudi nationals had been detained for links to the bombing but 
that the main suspects were still at large. "There will come a day not far 
away when we will say who is behind Khobar," Nayef told a Saudi newspaper. 
"For the interests of the case and the investigation there is a delay due to 
the presence of some strong and important elements abroad. But we cannot 
specify or say who is the person or the side behind the incident until we 
have all the information," he said. The prince confirmed suspected links 
between Saudi dissident Hani al-Sayegh -- extradited from the United States 
-- and the bombing. "He is detained and if he was not involved he would not 
have been detained," Nayef said. 

For the complete story of the Khobar Towers bombing and its link to TWA 800 
please see: 

Strike One - Khobar Towers; Strike Two - TWA 800; Strike Three ..... 

http://members.aol.com/bardonia2/towers.htm