THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 15, 1995 TAG: 9511150243
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
For thousands of Americans living in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom seemed one of the few safe havens in the Middle East, a region plagued by terrorism.
That sense of security vanished Monday when a bomb destroyed a U.S.-run military training facility, killing five Americans and a Filipino and injuring 60.
On Tuesday, a seventh person died from injuries, according to U.S. Defense Department spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Scott Campbell. The victim was not American, and details were not known.
Some of the wounded remained in critical condition.
``We were shocked because someone we know was in that building and was badly injured,'' said Lee Crowley, a banker from New York who has lived in Riyadh for six years. His close friend underwent four hours of surgery and required more than 100 stitches, he said. ``You can imagine how badly she was hurt,'' he said.
U.S. embassy spokesman Jeffrey Thomas said an FBI team arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday, but declined to give further details.
A dozen American investigators joined hundreds of Saudi Arabian colleagues Tuesday in lifting tangled metal, smashed concrete and other debris. Security men cordoned off the streets, while tractors removed huge piles of rubble.
The blast occurred outside the modern, three-story building that was the headquarters for a U.S. Army program which provides American military and civilian advisers to modernize the Saudi National Guard.
Despite three claims of responsibility, it was still not clear who carried out the attack. It was also not known whether it was an isolated incident or part of a wider campaign against the ruling al-Saud family and the Americans who work for them.
One thing is clear - the building was extremely vulnerable by Middle East standards.
Many buildings used by the U.S. government and the military in the region are notable for their fortress walls and elaborate security. But perpetrators of Monday's attack were apparently able to place a powerful bomb on the street next to the building where some 200 Americans were working. by CNB