WASHINGTON Ñ Testimony to the U.S. Congress contradicted assertions by the Bush administration that Saudi Arabia has stopped financial support for organizations linked to terrorism.
A Senate Banking subcommittee was told that Saudi legislation drafted
with Washington's help has not ended the financing of groups that appear on the
State Department's list of groups deemed terrorists.
Earlier this year,
Riyad introduced new regulations against money-laundering and private
fundraising, Middle East Newsline reported. Senior administration officials have said Riyad
has launched a genuine effort to cooperate in the U.S.-led war against
terrorism.
"Saudis are now encouraged to donate funds only through established
groups operating under the direct patronage of the royal family," Matthew
Levitt, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
told the International Finance, Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban
Affairs subcommittee on Aug. 1. "Unfortunately, some of these approved
groups feature prominently on U.S. terrorist lists."
Last week, three Saudi princes and major Saudi banks were listed as
defendants in a $1 trillion suit filed by the families of the victims of the
Sept. 11 Al Qaida attacks on New York and Washington. Among the princes is
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz.
Levitt told the Senate that Saudi Arabia has avoided a genuine crackdown
on Islamic charities accused of funding terrorists because this could reveal
donations by high-ranking Saudi princes. He said that despite the suicide
attacks on New York and Washington "Saudi officials have exhibited, at a
minimum, a clear pattern of tolerating funds earmarked for extremist
purposes."
The testimony to the Senate was in line with that of other U.S.
counterinsurgency experts that dismissed Saudi efforts to halt financing to
Al Qaida and allied groups.
Levitt cited several Saudi-based charities that have been determined to
finance Al Qaida. They include the International Islamic Relief
Organization, its parent Muslim World League and the Saudi High Commission
for Aid to Bosnia.
The European Union has done little to contribute to the U.S.-led war
against terrorism, Levitt said. He cited complaints by U.S. officials that
European allies have contributed few names to the list of alleged terrorist
financiers. He said Europe has not acted against all of the names on the
list of U.S. terrorist financiers.
"Europeans, in return, have repeatedly expressed their frustration with
U.S. requests to add people or groups to terrorist lists without sufficient
justification for their inclusion," Levitt said.
