A former head of Saudi intelligence has admitted he once had dealings with Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, who is being held responsible for the terrorist attack on a residential compound in Riyadh in which seventeen people were killed and more than 100 wounded.

But in an early morning radio interview on Monday, Prince Turki al-Faisal, who is right now Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom, insisted his contacts with the Al Qaeda leader ceased shortly after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. "I knew him as a volunteer in the war against the Soviets, that's when I knew him. I had no dealings with him after that," Prince Turki said.

He described Al Qaeda as an evil religious cult who "believe they have a global role to take on so called crusaders and Zionists".

Asked if bin Laden personally ordered the Riyadh bombing, Prince Turki replied, "I am sure he has inspired all of these attacks. If he did not give the direct order, those who ordered these attacks acted in his name.

"These are senseless killings. They don't want the kingdom to progress."

In Riyadh, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz has promised not to rest until the capture of the terrorists responsible for the attack.

"We will get to them, god willing, no matter how long it takes," Nayef said after inspecting the badly damaged al-Muhaya residential compound.

"This will be the job of all the sons of this homeland, chiefly security forces…" he added.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw described the bombing as an act of "hideous barbarity".

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, speaking on behalf of the European Union, expressed "the deepest and most sincere condolences to the victims of these vile and terrible attacks".

"This sad circumstance confirms the necessity to continue to fight together, and with the greatest determination, terrorism in all its forms."

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Alexander Yakovenko said it was "another crime of international terrorism.

"The criminals' methods leaves no doubt that the people behind this barbaric act have no morals or religion," he said, saying Russia was ready to step up its cooperation with Saudi Arabia.