Gitmo prisoner says Saudi royal urged attacks on US

WASHINGTON (AA) – An accused al-Qaeda bomb maker told the U.S. military that he believed a member of the Saudi royal family helped to recruit him to carry out attacks on the U.S, according to a report published Saturday.

The Associated Press reported that the Guantanamo Bay prisoner, Ghassan Abdallah al-Sharbi, told military officers a Saudi religious figure called an unidentified individual "your highness" during a telephone call. The religious figure then called on al-Sharbi to return to the U.S. to take part in an attack that would require him to learn how to fly a plane.

The AP cited a newly released transcript in its report.

A formal Congressional inquiry into the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks found no direct connection to the Saudi royal family.

The Pentagon told Anadolu Agency it was unaware of the report, and is looking into it. This story will be updated if additional information becomes available.