WASHINGTON — U.S. allies in the Middle East are
supporting groups categorized as terrorist by the State Department.
A State Department report, based on data from the National
Counterterrorism Center, said the United States has provided military and
security support to Middle East countries that either finance or harbor
terrorist groups. These countries have not been placed on the department's
list of terrorist sponsors.
Entitled "Country Reports on Terrorism 2005," the report cited aid by
Saudi Arabia to Hamas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The department said
Hamas has also been raising funds in other Arab as well as Western states.
"[Hamas] receives some funding from Iran but primarily relies on
donations from Palestinian expatriates around the world and private
benefactors in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states," the report said. "Some
fundraising and propaganda activity takes place in Western Europe and North
America."
Yemen was also cited as a U.S. ally that finances and harbors terrorist
organizations. The report said Yemen has deemed Hamas and the Palestinian
Islamic Jihad legitimate.
"Several terrorist organizations continued to maintain a presence in
Yemen throughout 2005," the report said. "The government of Yemen recognizes
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as legal organizations. Hamas conducted
extensive fundraising through mosques and other charitable organizations and
maintains offices."
In December 2005, Hamas leader Khaled Masha'al visited Sanaa and met
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Masha'al was said to have raised money
from prominent Yemenis.
Another U.S. ally in the Middle East reported to harbor and recognize
terrorist groups has been Lebanon. The report said Lebanon recognizes
several terrorist organizations, including the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah,
and enables them to operate in much of the country.
"Because the government of Lebanon does not exercise effective control
over areas in the south and inside the Palestinian refugee camps, terrorists
can operate relatively freely in those areas," the report said.
Both Lebanon and Yemen receive U.S. military aid. Yemen has received
about $40 million in U.S. military and security aid to help train and equip
the nation's coast guard. In 2006, Yemen was meant to receive $30 million in
economic aid.
In 2006, Lebanon was set to receive $35 million — mostly in economic
aid — from the United States. The Bush administration has offered to
significantly increase military and security aid on condition that Lebanon
dismantles its militias.
"There are limitations to what the Lebanese government can do, given its
fragile nature and given the complex political alliances there," State
Department counter-terrorism coordinator Henry Crumpton.
At a briefing on April 28, Crumpton said Yemen was cooperating in the
U.S.-led war against Al Qaida. He said Yemen has not been deemed as
"directly supporting terrorism and acts of terrorism."
"Yemen continues to cooperate with us, but their capacity is limited,"
Crumpton said. "Regarding their political discussions with Hamas and others,
we have expressed our concern about that and we continue to engage with
President Saleh and his CT team, but they have a long way to go."
The State Department retained its list of terrorist sponsors for 2006.
They were Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. Crumpton reported
progress with both Libya and Sudan in efforts to remove them from the list.
"Libya continues to make progress," Crumpton said. "We have outlined
specifically to them what we need. They have to not engage in any terrorism
for a certain period of time and we have to be able to verify that."
