Arriving in the wake of a suicide car bombing that killed at least 17 people and injured dozens more, a senior US official warned Saudi leaders that close cooperation in the war on terrorism was needed to prevent more al-Qaida attacks in the kingdom.

　　"On behalf of my nation I will just pledge that we will be fully participating partners if that is the desire of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia," said US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who arrived on Sunday night in the Saudi capital.

　　Saturday night's car bombing at a housing compound for foreigners was portrayed by Saudis as proof of the al-Qaida terror network's willingness to shed Muslim blood as well in its zeal to bring down the US-linked Saudi monarchy.

　　The Saudi ambassador to Britain, Prince Turki al-Faisal, cited similarities between Saturday's bombings and previous al-Qaida strikes.

　　"I must assume that it (Saturday's attack) is al-Qaida," Prince Turki told British Broadcasting Corporation radio yesterday.

　　At least 13 of those killed were Arabs, with four as yet unidentified, an Interior Ministry official told the official Saudi news agency. Five were children. In addition, 122 people were injured, most of them Arabs as well.

　　The White House said US President George W. Bush joined other Western and regional leaders on Sunday in expressing condolences and pledging to stand by the kingdom in the fight against terrorism.

　　Armitage, echoing initial Saudi assessments, said that he was "personally quite sure" al-Qaida was behind the car bombing "because this attack bears the hallmark of them."

　　Such attacks appear to be directed "against the government of Saudi Arabia and the people of Saudi Arabia," he said, adding that he expected more to follow.

　　Al-Qaida "will prefer to have many such attacks to appear bigger than they are," he told a news conference. Such attacks showed that "all of us have to work together."

　　Armitage said he would discuss "terrorism and counterterrorism cooperation."