Another Saudi al-Qaeda member surrenders

Monday, September 19, 2011 - Islamabad—One more of the 47 most-wanted Saudi nationals believed to be hiding in Afghanistan has surrendered to the Saudi security authorities. According to a statement by the spokesman of Saudi Ministry of Interior Mejeb Mohammed Jamal Al-Qahtani who was listed as wanted has first expressed his desire to return to his family and agreed “to surrender himself to the concerned authorities.”

Consequently, Saudi officials have made arrangements for his return and reunite him with his family. His initiative to surrender would be taken into consideration while looking into his case,” the Saudi spokesman said.

On August 3, 2011 another Saudi nation al and member of Al-Qaeda, Abdul Salam Abdulaziz Al-Faraj had agreed to turned himself in to Saudi authorities. Al-Faraj was also included on the Kingdom’s 47 most-wanted list released earlier this year and submitted to Interpol for extradition. He will face the same legal proceedings used in similar cases, the Interior Ministry added.

On May 6, 2011, a spokesman at the Ministry of Interior, Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, announced in Riyadh that Khalid bin Hathal Al-Attfi Al-Qahtani who was among 47 suspects contacted Saudi security forces and expressed willingness to turn himself in.

Muhammad Jafar Jamal al-Khatani was one of four suspects who escaped from a high-security U.S. military jail in Bagram, Afghanistan, on July 11, 2005. There were conflicting reports that he was re-captured in 2006 from Afghanistan province of Khost but that his arrest was never confirmed by the U.S.

Security sources say that Mohammed Jamal Al-Qahtani was an important al-Qaeda operative in Afghanistan but was not linked to another Saudi national and alleged 9-11 hijacker Muhammad al-Kahtani.