Interpol raises alarm over Saudi "Qaeda" jailbreak

BERLIN, July 11 (Reuters) Interpol today issued a worldwide alert over the escape of seven ''suspected al Qaeda-linked terrorists'' from a Saudi prison and voiced concern that it had only learned of the jailbreak from the press.

The world police organisation said it was the second time in six months that it had found out from the media about a major prison escape, following the flight of 13 convicted militants and 10 other inmates in Yemen in February.

''Most people might only be concerned that there have been two prison escapes in two different countries by a large number of suspected al Qaeda terrorists,'' Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble said in a statement.

''However, Interpol is also concerned that there apparently is no established protocol at the national level to alert the international police community that a prison break of suspected al Qaeda terrorists has occurred.'' He said he would put forward proposals to Interpol's 184 member countries to address ''a serious weak link in the chain of global security''.

Interpol was reacting to reports last Saturday of the escape of six Saudis and one Yemeni man, held on security charges, from a detention centre in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

It said it had issued international ''blue notices'', carrying their photographs and fingerprints and asking member countries to provide any information on their whereabouts.

Its description of them as ''al Qaeda-linked terrorists'' contrasted with earlier comments from Saudi officials who said they were not on any list of suspected militants and had not taken part in attacks.

Saudi Arabia has been battling a campaign of violence by militants linked to al Qaeda who want to topple the pro-US monarchy and expel foreigners from the birthplace of Islam.

In the Yemen incident in February, 23 inmates escaped through a 140-metre (460-feet) tunnel hollowed under their prison to a nearby mosque.

They included leaders of deadly attacks on a US warship and a French oil tanker, as well as a Yemeni-American with a 5 million dollar US reward on his head.

REUTERS SY HS2158