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| Arabia |
| Saudis eliminate al-Qaida at home, fund abroad |
| 2004-09-25 |
| U.S. officials say Saudi Arabia has eliminated al-Qaida leadership at home but continues to fund the terrorist network abroad, reports Geostrategy-Direct, the global intelligence news service. Officials said Saudi Arabia has captured or killed many al-Qaida leaders over the last three months. Saudi security forces, with support from U.S. intelligence and law enforcement, raided al-Qaida strongholds in Buraida, Mecca, Jeddah and Riyadh, they said. "Saudi Arabia is working hard to shut down the facilitators and financial supporters of terrorism, and they have captured or killed many first-tier leaders of the al-Qaida organization in Saudi Arabia," the White House said in a Sept. 11 statement. "Today, because Saudi Arabia has seen the danger and joined the war on terror, the American people are safer." But U.S. officials said Saudi Arabia has failed to stop financing to al-Qaida. Despite U.S. appeals, Saudi charities continue to relay funds to al-Qaida abroad, particularly in financing Arab operatives in Africa and Chechnya. In September, the U.S. Treasury Department designated the U.S. and Comoros branches of the Al Haramain Foundation, a state-sponsored Saudi charity, as financiers of terrorism. The department also designated a director of Al Haramain in the United States, Suliman Al Buthe, as a financier and facilitator of terrorism. So far, more than a dozen branches of Al Haramain have been listed as facilitators of terrorism. These include the former director of the foundation, Aqeel Abdul Aziz Al Aqil. Al Haramain has dismissed the U.S. designations. Officials said the latest designation came after more than two years of cooperation between U.S. and Saudi officials investigating Al Haramain's financial activities. The FBI and other federal agencies have also investigated Al Haramain branches in the United States. "The investigation shows direct links between the U.S. branch and Osama Bin Laden," the Treasury Department said. "In addition, the affidavit alleges the U.S. branch of AHF criminally violated tax laws and engaged in other money-laundering offenses." In June 2004, the Saudi government announced it was dissolving Al Haramain and other Saudi charities that operate abroad and would fold their assets into a new Saudi National Commission for Relief and Charity Work Abroad. U.S. officials said Al Haramain continues to operate abroad, despite Riyadh's action. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #5 The Saudis have been talking out both sides of their mouths; they have pulled it off for a long time, but after 9-11 their song and dance got old. After Iran has been dealt with and neutralized, then the sights will be on the Saudis. Syria is a client state of Iran now, so to speak, so they will be taken care of when Iran gets wacked. So much to do, so little non-radioactive time. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul in Fairbanks, AK 2004-09-25 7:52:01 PM |
| #4 Old Pat -- nice blog, I'll keep checking back. |
| Posted by: Capt America 2004-09-25 4:40:15 PM |
| #3 I have an article about this over at my (new) blog. Check it out. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2004-09-25 2:59:45 PM |
| #2 "The Saudis have been jolted by the al-Qaida threat," said Dore Gold, a senior Israeli government consultant and president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. "At the same time, they are ideologically committed to supporting jihad externally." And this should be the Saudi royals' death sentence. I still advocate divesting (per .com's idea) Saudi Arabia of its eastern oil fields in addition to physically holding hostage the shrines in Mecca and Medina. Until Islam as a whole makes a genuine effort to clean their house of violent jihadists, there should be a palpable price paid by all Muslims worldwide. Only by inflicting serious limitations upon the proper pursuit of Islamic worship will Muslims begin to comprehend that terrorism carries some sort of serious price tag. Until we have the courage to attach a significant across-the-board cost for Islam's support of terrorism, nothing will be done by them to correct their drift into militancy. Without such action all we can look forward to is an endless stream of more mass murdering Islamic psychopaths. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-09-25 2:38:13 PM |
| #1 While Iran is being 'altered' for the better, right after the election, the ruling oil barons of Saudi Wahhabist clan need to step down and leave town. The fact those bastards funded the murder of over 3000 Americans and remain in power is beyond geostrategic comprehension. |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-09-25 1:29:39 PM |