WASHINGTON — The wife of Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States on Sunday vehemently denied suggestions that she helped fund terrorists involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but confirmed that she gave money to a needy woman whose husband may have had ties to the hijackers.
“I find that accusations that I contributed funds to terrorists outrageous and completely irresponsible,” said Princess Haifa al-Faisal, wife of Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan, in a statement issued late Sunday to Knight Ridder Newspapers.
“This is the time for people to come together to combat the scourge of terrorism so that others will not suffer the loss of loved ones,” the princess said.
It is extremely rare for Saudi women to be involved in public controversy or to issue press statements. A spokesman for the Saudi embassy in Washington said he believed Sunday’s statement issued to Knight Ridder was the first ever issued by Princess Haifa.
The angry denial came in the wake of reports that the FBI was investigating a possible money trail from the Saudi Arabian government to two of the hijackers, Khalid al Midhar and Nawaf al Hazmi. The reports said that money from the princess went to the family of Osama Bassnan, a Saudi citizen, when they were living in the United States. A friend of Bassnan, Omar al Bayoumi, had apparently helped al Midhar and al Hazmi when they arrived in San Diego’s Muslim community.
Nail al Jubeir, the Saudi Embassy spokesman, said Sunday that Princess Haifa had given money to a woman named Majida Ibrahim Ahmad, a Jordanian national, who had gone to her for help in paying for medical expenses.
The princess gave her monthly checks of $2,000 for several years, but she was not aware that Ahmad was the wife of Bassnan, who had indirect connections to the hijackers.
“She has been very generous in her support of Saudis living here,” al Jubeir said. “We’re tracing the whole thing,” he said.
Both Ahmad and her Saudi husband were deported this month.
© 2002, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.