12:11pm UK, Sunday August 25, 2002

Members of the Saudi royal family reportedly paid millions of dollars in 'protection money' to the Taliban and Osama Bin Laden's terror network.

Court documents reveal the senior royals outlayed up to £200m in return for the Taliban or al Qaeda not attacking Saudi targets.

mr bin laden

The money reportedly enabled bin Laden to fund training camps in Afghanistan, later attended by the September 11 hijackers, reports The Sunday Times.

The court papers were filed as part of a $3,000bn lawsuit being launched in America, following the September tragedy.

It is alleged the Saudi deal was assured following secret meetings between senior royals and Bin Laden himself.

Oil and finance

Foreign observers believe the disclosure will further fuel tensions between the United States and Saudi Arabia, which already opposes American intervention in the Middle East.

According to the lawsuit, the Saudi princes feared for their kingdom, following attacks by Islamic fundamentalists on US training facilities in the mid nineties.

Nineteen American servicemen died in attacks at Riyadh in 1995 and Khobar the following year.

It is believed a series of secret meetings followed, in which the Saudi royals promised to provide oil and financial assistance to the Taliban and Pakistan.