July 31, 1997 The Pentagon punishes the supervising commander in Saudi Arabia. Sept. 16, 1996 A military inquiry releases its report on the bombing. July 9, 1996 Sens. McCain and Nunn on their investigation of the bombing. June 26, 1996 A report on the initial attack. Browse NewsHour coverage of the law and the Middle East	Additional Information Listen to Attorney General and FBI Director's Press Conference Read the full indictment (in .pdf format) The federal indictment charged 13 Saudis and a Lebanese citizen with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy and other charges. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said the attack was "inspired, supported, and supervised" by elements of the Iranian government. "The indictment explains that elements of the Iranian government inspired, supported and supervised members of Saudi Hizbollah" engaged in preparing the attack, Ashcroft told a news conference. No Iranian individuals were named in the indictment, however. The truck bomb explosion injured more than 370 people in the Khobar Towers military housing complex and left a 30-foot crater in front of the shattered building. The indictment charges that as early as 1993 members of Saudi Hizbollah began extensive surveillance in search of a U.S. target, settling two years later on the American military housing high-rise near Dhahran. "This indictment serves to underscore the commitment of the Bush administration and the Justice Department to bringing terrorists to account," Ashcroft said. "Americans are a high-priority target for terrorists and our nation will vigorously fight to preserve justice for our citizens both here at home as well as abroad." Ashcroft said the United States is charging that certain unspecified Iranian figures "inspired, supported and supervised" the activities of the terrorists. He suggested that prosecutors lacked sufficient evidence to indict individuals in Iran.

REGIONS TOPICS RECENT PROGRAMS ABOUT US FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS / FEEDS:

Support the kind of journalism done by the NewsHour...Become a member of your local PBS station.
PBS Online Privacy Policy Copyright ©1996- MacNeil/Lehrer Productions. All Rights Reserved.