ASaudi-born Islamic militant, who was seen in a video tape with Osama bin Laden several years ago, turned himself in to the Saudi embassy in Teheran and was flown back to the Saudi Arabia, the Saudi interior ministry announced today.
Video footage shown on official Saudi television showed a bearded man identified as Khaled al-Harbi being carried off a small jet and placed into a wheelchair. Mr. Al-Harbi, who was also known as Abu Suleiman al-Makki, was dubbed the mystery dinner guest after he was seen sitting with Mr. bin Laden in a video tape released in December 2001, paying effusive tribute to the Qaeda leader and flattering him with news of Saudi clerics who he said had endorsed the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
When Mr. al-Harbi surrendered in Teheran, he had no identity documents on him, the ministry statement said. The Iranian government appears to have been aware of Mr. al-Harbi's movements, and the Saudis had arranged with the Iranian government for documents necessary to fly Mr. al-Harbi and his family home.
The ministry said Mr. al-Harbi had been in the area around the Iranian-Afghan border before he surrendered, and that he was not among the 20 or more al Qaeda militants thought to be in Iranian custody.
The television pictures showed Mr. al-Harbi accompanied by a woman dressed in black and a teenage boy, believed to be his wife and son. It was not clear when Mr. Al-Harbi had surrendered or when he had arrived in Saudi Arabia.
He is the third man to take advantage of the amnesty that King Fahd offered militants on June 23, Reuters reported. The amnesty, which lasts for one month, promises to spare the lives of those militants who surrender.
David Aaron, an expert on terrorism at the Rand Corporation, a policy institute in Santa Monica, Calif., said he thought it was doubtful that Mr. Al-Harbi has any recent information that could lead American authorities to Mr. bin Laden or his chief operatives.
"He may be able to fill in some things about the past, but the fact that he was living on the Iranian border while bin Laden is on the other end of the country suggests he is not that plugged in," Mr. Aaron added.
Mr. al-Harbi has been variously reported to have lost his legs in Afghanistan and to have been paralyzed by a bullet to the spine. The interior ministry said that Mr. al-Harbi would be taken to a hospital after his arrival, but no further details were available.
Reuters, citing a Saudi security source, said that Mr. al-Harbi had fought with Islamic militants in Bosnia and Afghanistan. He is important in the sense that he is one of the Saudis that were close to bin Laden, the Saudi person told Reuters.
Mr. Al-Harbi spoke briefly on Saudi television about his return to the Kingdom.
"I came in obeyance of God and the ruler," he said, referring to Saudi Arabia's King Fahd. "There is no doubt that this is a gracious initiative by King Fahd and his crown prince," he said.
He also called on other Islamic militants to turn themselves in.
According to news agency reports, Mr. al-Harbi is not thought to be part of al Qaeda's operational command, nor is he thought to be linked to the Islamic militants who have carried out a series of kidnappings, attacks and bombings in Saudi Arabia in recent months.
At an earlier briefing today, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef acknowledged that Saudi nationals have joined the insurgents fighting United States forces in neighboring Iraq.