The Dec 6 attack further complicated US-Saudi relations at a time of heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, Saudi Arabia's regional rival. A deputy sheriff shot dead the gunman, Saudi Air Force Second Lieutenant Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, in the Pensacola, Florida, incident. Barr said 21 Saudi cadets were "disenrolled from their training curriculum" in the US military and would leave the United States later on Monday after an investigation showed they either had child pornography or social media accounts containing Islamic extremist or anti-American content. He indicated that it was Saudi Arabia that withdrew the cadets, rather than the United States formally expelling them, and said the Saudi authorities told him they would consider filing criminal charges against them. A total of 17 - including some of those with child pornography images - had social media accounts containing some jihadi or anti-American content, Barr said.

Source: bd News24 January 14, 2020 02:37 UTC