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Another Muslim "charity" in hot water. We'll see just how "transparent" the new organization will be, but I don't tend to put much stock in what Al-Jubeir says. From Reuters, with thanks to Nicolei:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia on Wednesday said it was dissolving a Riyadh-based charity suspected of funding al Qaeda and will fold its assets into a new group that will channel all Saudi charitable contributions abroad.In addition to winding down the Riyadh-based Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, Saudi and U.S. officials said they would seek to block the assets of its local branches in Afghanistan, Albania, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and the Netherlands.
The steps are designed to ensure Saudi charitable funds, which U.S. officials have long believed have helped to fund "terrorist" groups, do not get into the hands of militants.
Saudi Arabia has long practiced appeasement with terrorist groups but attacks within Saudi Arabia itself may shake up that unofficial policy.
U.S. and Saudi officials said the new entity -- the Saudi National Commission for Relief and Charity Work Abroad -- would help keep charitable donations out of the wrong hands."We do this in order to ensure that the charity of our citizens goes to those who need it and that we know where funds go when they leave Saudi Arabia," Adel Al-Jubeir, an adviser to Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, said at a news conference.
Jubeir said the new entity would operate with transparency and provide quarterly reports on how funds are spent. ...
Jubeir said at its peak Al-Haramain raised $40 million to $50 million a year and he roughly estimated the new entity that will funnel all Saudi charity abroad could raise $100 million a year, spiking higher when there are natural disasters.
To block their assets, Washington added the Al-Haramain affiliates in Afghanistan, Albania, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and the Netherlands to its list of people or groups believed to have committed, threatened or supported "terrorism."
Posted by Robert at June 3, 2004 2:55 PM
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The steps are designed to ensure Saudi charitable funds, which U.S. officials have long believed have helped to fund "terrorist" groups, do not get into the hands of militants.
Funny...as soon as I saw the quotation marks around the word "terrorist," I knew this was a piece from al-Reuters.
Posted by: lobo91 at June 3, 2004 3:22 PMDon't get snarky, lobo. Some actually still think they are a credible news organization...
Posted by: Bob Owens at June 3, 2004 3:39 PMSome people think that about CNN, too.
Doesn't make them right.
Posted by: lobo91 at June 3, 2004 3:57 PMI myself still see Reuters as one of the most unbiased news sources out there. Who cares about some quotation marks. They had the story about the UN ambulances being used by terrorists and nobody else did.
Posted by: bart at June 3, 2004 6:51 PMSaudi Arabia is now cracking down only because they're threatened. They're the cause of most of this global mess with their wahabbi trash. Saudi Arabia has a ways to go before they should be considered any form of ally or friend to us.
Posted by: D.C. Watson at June 3, 2004 8:48 PMD.C. - Saudi Arabia seems to be cracking down, but remember, the terrorists escaped. Some say that they were assisted by the authorities. What kind of crack down is that? Is it window dressing to assuage the anger of the West?
Posted by: epg at June 3, 2004 9:52 PMepg...Yes I know this. And, you're absolutely right. Actually, the terrorists magically escaped during the last supposed scuffle they had with Saudi Security Forces, remember?
The Saudi facade. They've created a monster. Too bad for them that their monster bears primitive weaponry and outside of their leadership, is illiterate. Saudi Arabia sends tens of millions of dollars to our Universities so they can build "Middle East" Study Centers (aka terrorist/extremist recruitment centers).
This must stop. There is absolutely no neccesity for Islam to be a part of America in any capacity. America would be a better place with Islam (as it is currently being practiced), expelled. Sad to say, but Islam has spoken.
Radical, Moderate, it matters not. Islam is Islam. I hope for a substantial reform, but I'm not optomistic.
One would like to know how Saudi money is pouring into Niger -- at least on the testimony of students from Niger, now resident in France, and known to me. Niger produces uranium. And even if it was not supplying Saddam Hussein, the idea that uranium from Niger is not coveted by assorted Muslims with mayhem on the their mind is ridiculous.
The practice of Islam has been changing, for the worse, in Niger. Women are burkaed who never bothered before. Saudi money is everywhere in the mosques. Who is looking into this? Who thinks it is important? Who is minding the uranium store? Is there any limit on the fecklessness of the Western world?
Posted by: Hugh at June 5, 2004 8:57 PMOne would like to know how Saudi money is pouring into Niger -- at least on the testimony of students from Niger, now resident in France, and known to me. Niger produces uranium. And even if it was not supplying Saddam Hussein, the idea that uranium from Niger is not coveted by assorted Muslims with mayhem on the their mind is ridiculous.
The practice of Islam has been changing, for the worse, in Niger. Women are burkaed who never bothered before. Saudi money is everywhere in the mosques. Who is looking into this? Who thinks it is important? Who is minding the uranium store? Is there any limit on the fecklessness of the Western world?
Posted by: Hugh at June 5, 2004 8:58 PMYet in the next breath thay accuse the isreal government of the attacks on their country. More bull shit from the muslim islamic hate, killing country of saudi arabia.
Posted by: christian at June 6, 2004 12:17 AMpleeze stop clloZing downn thos Islamic cHariTeyzez. I iZ poOior ands i neED them tOu lIiv.
Posted by: sadhobo at June 7, 2004 12:11 AM
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