JEDDAH: Saudi student Khalid Ali Al-Dowsari, accused of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction to target the residence of former US president George W. Bush, will stand before a Lubbock Court in Texas State for a second time next Friday. His lawyer, appointed by the Saudi Embassy in Washington to defend him, will present new evidence hoping to prove his innocence on all charges, according to sources. Al-Dowsari had appeared for the first time last Wednesday and had pleaded not guilty. The sources said two Saudi diplomats met last week with Al-Dowsari inside his prison in Texas to check on his health and to ensure all his needs were met. The Justice Department had announced earlier that the American authorities had arrested a 20-year-old Saudi national on charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction to target the former US president's residence. The department later confirmed the name of the student. Al-Dowsari entered the US in 2008 on a student visa and was arrested by FBI officers in Texas. In its report, the Justice Department said that the student was accused of purchasing chemicals and machinery for manufacturing a primitive explosive device. It specified several likely targets including the home of Bush, dams and American nuclear power plants. The Justice Department statement added that Al-Dowsari was a legal resident in Texas, which is in the southern part of the US. The statement claimed that the federal police inspected Al-Dowsari's residence and found concentrated sulfuric acid, nitric acid, vessels and wires.
