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| Arabia |
| US officials blast Soddy anti-terrorism experts |
| 2006-01-15 |
| Although Saudi Arabia has cracked down on militants within its borders, the kingdom has not met its promises to help prevent the spread of terrorism or curb the flow of money from Saudis to terror cells around the world, U.S. intelligence, diplomatic and other officials say. One result, these critics said, is that countless young terror suspects are believed to have escaped the kingdom's tightening noose at home by fleeing across what critics call a porous border into Iraq. U.S. military officials confirm an aggressive role by Saudi fighters in the insurgency in Iraq, where over the past year they reportedly accounted for more than half of all Arab jihadists killed. And millions of dollars continue to flow from wealthy Saudis through Saudi-based Islamic charitable and relief organizations to al-Qaida and other suspected terror groups abroad, aided by Riyadh's failure to set up a government commission to police such groups as promised, senior U.S. officials from several counterterrorism agencies said in interviews. Those officials said Saudi Arabia has taken some positive steps within its borders. But they criticized what they called the Saudis' failure to take a more active role in the global fight. Daniel L. Glaser, the deputy assistant Treasury secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes, recalled attending a counterterrorism conference in Riyadh last February at which the Saudis declared they would be an international leader in fighting al-Qaida and in eradicating terrorism worldwide. Nearly a year later, Glaser and other U.S. officials say, those promises are unfulfilled. "They promised to do it and they need to live up to their promises," Glaser said. "They need to crack down operationally on donors in Saudi Arabia. And they need to exert their influence over their international charities abroad . . . . They have to care not just what al-Qaida is doing just within their own borders but wherever it is operating." In response, a senior Saudi official vehemently insisted that the kingdom has taken strong steps to fight al-Qaida -- not only at home but worldwide. In a series of interviews last week, the official said the government is working closely with regional partners and the United States on operational and intelligence-gathering fronts. The official objected to U.S. criticisms about Saudi fighters playing an important role in the Iraq insurgency, and said Riyadh has done a good job of sealing off the border between the two countries. Any Saudis entering Iraq have been forced to transit through other countries, he said. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #2 A question.... If an "Ocean's 11" type group was to drain some soddy charity would the FBI and Interpol care? Its sounds like a dream op for that sort of folk. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-01-15 13:21 |
| #1 "We have a problem with imams," the Saudi official said. "We have a hundred thousand of them. Can we stop every one? No." Simple. Each imam that speaks out on behalf of jihadism, or even the hatred and killing of non-Mulsims, should be removed from the payroll. Immediately and without discussion. Demonstrate that the House of Saud does not support such beliefs. As for the continued flow of suicidal idiots across the border? That would be our pack culling their herd. Or, low-cost target practice for the Iraqi trainees. Saudi choice, our result. I can live with that, for a while anyway. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-01-15 10:01 |