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| GAO: Report on Islamic Extremeism |
| 2005-10-15 |
| Summary of GAO voluminous report at .pdf link. They're paid by the pixel. A number of government and non-government sources reported that Saudi private entities and individuals, as well as sources from other countries, are allegedly financing or supporting Islamic extremism. For example, in July 2005, a Treasury official testified before Congress that Saudi Arabia based and funded organizations remain a key source for the promotion of ideologies used by terrorists and violent extremists around the world to justify their agenda. In addition, according to State’s 2005 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, Saudi donors and unregulated charities have been a major source of financing to extremist and terrorist groups over the past 25 years. The 9/11 Commission reported that despite numerous allegations of the government of Saudi Arabia’s involvement with al Qaeda, the commission has found no persuasive evidence that the government as an institution or senior officials within the government knowingly supported al Qaeda. The agencies we reviewed also told us that the threat of the global propagation of Islamic extremism is emerging not only from Saudi sources but also from sources in other countries, such as Iran, Kuwait, and Syria, as well as from indigenous groups within some countries. U.S. agencies we reviewed are still examining Saudi Arabia’s relationship, and that of other sources in other countries, to Islamic extremism. The government of Saudi Arabia has publicly announced and, in some cases, undertaken some reform efforts to address Islamic extremism; however, U.S. agencies do not know the extent of the Saudi government’s efforts to limit the activities of Saudi sources that have allegedly propagated Islamic extremism outside of Saudi Arabia. First, the government is implementing educational and religious reforms, including revising textbooks and conducting a 3-year enlightenment program to purge extremism and intolerance from religious education. However, as of July 2005, agency officials did not know if the government of Saudi Arabia had taken steps to ensure that Saudi-funded curricula or religious activities in other countries do not propagate extremism. Second, the government is undertaking legal, regulatory, and institutional reforms to address vulnerabilities in Saudi financial and charitable systems. For example, according to the government of Saudi Arabia, and State and Treasury officials, Saudi Arabia is undertaking a number of charity reforms, including requiring all private Saudi donations marked for international distribution to flow through a new National Commission for Relief and Charity Work Abroad. However, as of July 2005, this commission was not yet fully operational, according to Treasury. In addition, in 2004, Saudi Arabia and the United States announced that they had jointly designated as terrorist financiers nine branch offices of the al Haramain Islamic Foundation under United Nations Security Resolution 1267. According to State, the government of Saudi Arabia also announced its intentions to close al Haramain Islamic Foundation, but in May 2005, a Treasury official told us it was unclear whether the government of Saudi Arabia had implemented its plans. State officials also told us that the government of Saudi Arabia had undertaken some political reforms, including establishing a human rights association to implement human rights charters and a center for national dialogue to facilitate discussion of issues such as education and extremism. |
| Posted by:Angolulet Ebberesh8857 |
| #1 Thank you Editor |
| Posted by: Angolulet Ebberesh8857 2005-10-15 14:11 |