Answer to question taken at January 28 State Department briefing

Following is the official answer to a question taken at the January 28 regular State Department briefing; the answer was posted later in the day:

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U.S DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
January 28, 2004

QUESTIONS TAKEN AT THE JANUARY 28, 2004 DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

Saudi Arabia: Diplomatic Visas

Question: Do you have any reaction to a report that several Saudi diplomats have been required to depart the US in two weeks?

Answer: From time to time, the Department learns of cases where persons who are accredited to it no longer are performing the duties for which they originally were accredited. In those instances, it is customary for the Department to withdraw their accreditation. When this occurs, they must depart the country.

Question: Can you state specifically what these diplomats were doing?

Answer: As a condition of their appointments, persons accredited at embassies must perform duties directly related to and in support of the embassy. When it comes to the Department's attention that they no longer are performing duties on a full-time basis at the embassy, they lose their entitlement to this status.

Question: Are these people a threat to the United States?

Answer: The Department's action was related solely to the fact that these individuals did not appear to be engaged full time in the conduct of diplomatic duties within the Saudi Embassy.

Question: Are they involved in fundraising?

Answer: Again, the Department's action was not based on any other information regarding these individuals' activities. I have no information regarding their possible involvement in fundraising.

Question: What are they doing?

Answer: The Department recently obtained information that subsequent to their accreditation at the embassy, the persons in question were not engaged in the conduct of administrative or other duties within the Embassy, and were therefore not entitled to diplomatic status. We have asked the Saudi Mission to arrange for the immediate departure of these individuals.

Question: Will you follow up to ensure that's done?

Answer: Yes.

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