According to a secret memo released by WikiLeaks, a former Saudi ambassador to Manila was suspected by Washington of "potential involvement" in terrorism, but a Saudi prince vouched for him.
The memo released by the online whistle-blowing Website, Prince Saud Al-Faisal was told by a senior White House official under the Bush administration that Foreign Minister Muhammad Ameen Wali might be involved in "terrorism facilitation" according to the 24 February 2007 cable from the US Embassy in Riyadh.
It was the first document that directly referenced the Philippines from the over 250,000 cables of the 274 US embassies, which WikiLeaks started publishing in November.
Muhammad--who worked in the Philippines between 2004 and 2009--and who released two prisoners suspected to be terrorists, was cited by Francis Fragos Townsend, then assistant to the US president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, according to the secret memo.
Prince Saud assured Townsend that "some of Muhammad's actions may have involved bad judgment rather than intentional support for terrorism," from the memo.
The conversation took place in a private meeting in the Prince's residence in Jeddah in February 2007.
Former US Ambassador to Riyadh James Oberwetter, wrote and transmitted the memo.
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