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Flow of Saudis' Cash to Hamas Is Scrutinized (NYT)
The New York Times ^ | 09-16-2003 | DON VAN NATTA Jr. with TIMOTHY L. O'BRIEN

Posted on 09/16/2003 10:45:49 PM PDT by montag813

Flow of Saudis' Cash to Hamas Is Scrutinized

By DON VAN NATTA Jr. with TIMOTHY L. O'BRIEN

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 16 — Nearly a year ago, Khalid Mishaal, a senior leader of Hamas, the militant Palestinian organization, attended a charitable fund-raising conference here where he talked at length with Crown Prince Abdullah, the de facto Saudi ruler.

According to a summary of the meeting written by a Hamas official, Mr. Mishaal and other Hamas representatives thanked their Saudi hosts for continuing "to send aid to the people through the civilian and popular channels, despite all the American pressures exerted on them."

"This is indeed a brave posture deserving appreciation," the Hamas officials said, the document said.

Today Mr. Mishaal, who was recently added to the United States Treasury Department list of what it calls terrorist financiers, controls a wing of Hamas that advocates violent confrontation with Israel, including suicide bombings.

As relations between the Israelis and Palestinians continue to deteriorate, in no small part because of recent Hamas-sponsored suicide bombings, Saudis have come under fresh scrutiny by American and European investigators here and in Israel for their political and financial support of the group.

At least 50 percent of Hamas's current operating budget of about $10 million a year comes from people in Saudi Arabia, according to estimates by American law enforcement officials, American diplomats in the Middle East and Israeli officials. After the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the Saudi portion of Hamas financing grew larger as donations from the United States, Europe and other Persian Gulf countries dried up, American officials and analysts said.

The estimated donations coming from Saudi Arabia — about $5 million a year — are a significant sum for Hamas but a very small portion of the hundreds of millions of dollars that flow into Saudi charities each year, officials said. Nearly all the donations are given in cash, making it extremely difficult for Saudi and American authorities to track the money.

"It's a ridiculous accusation; no Saudi government money goes to Hamas, directly or indirectly," said Adel al-Jubeir, the foreign affairs adviser to Prince Abdullah. "Why on earth would we not stop this kind of funding? Why on earth would our crown prince say we do not want to support Hamas and then allow people to do this under the table?"

Saudi officials say their government's support for Palestinian causes goes solely to the Palestinian Authority, about $80 million to $100 million a year.

Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, has denied that his government has financially supported Hamas or charities that serve as front organizations for Hamas. Prince Saud has said the government aids the Palestinian Authority because it is "the sole representative of the Palestinian people."

The American Treasury secretary, John Snow, who is to arrive here on Wednesday on a trip through the Middle East and Central Asia to address the financing of terrorism and economic development, said a major theme was to press Palestinian and Saudi authorities to crack down on Hamas by choking off its funds.

During two days of meetings in Israel, which ended today, Mr. Snow conveyed a message of caution from the White House to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, urging him not to carry through with the threatened "removal" of Yasir Arafat and to halt construction of a barrier around Palestinian territory. But Mr. Snow aimed his strongest criticism at Hamas.

"The terror has to be stopped because the terror lies at the very heart of the region's troubles," Mr. Snow told Palestinian political and business leaders. "Hamas is clearly identified with terror. You have to go after it."

He said the White House was also asking Syria to crack down on Hamas. Mr. Mishaal and other senior Hamas leaders are based in Syria.

The document that outlined Mr. Mishaal's visit with the Saudis, in October 2002, was seized by the Israeli military during a raid in Gaza last December, and a copy was recently given to The New York Times by a former Israeli official. The summary is written in Arabic on paper with a Hamas letterhead and was translated into English by the Israeli military.

Four senior American law enforcement and diplomatic officials who reviewed the document did not dispute its authenticity, but declined to discuss its contents.

A Saudi official who was provided the document in Arabic and in English said it did not prove the Saudi government had contributed to Hamas, and he strongly criticized its contents as conveying a distorted view of the events.

"This document is trash," the official said. "If the purpose of the document is to prove Saudi funding for Hamas, it fails miserably. There is nothing in it except the views and perceptions of Hamas members who attended this conference. The Israelis have made a big fuss about this document, and there is no there there."

Several Saudi officials acknowledged that wealthy Saudi citizens have made sizable cash donations to Hamas. But they said the government is working to curb such contributions.

Saudi leaders, facing increasing pressure from the United States, say they have done much to stem the flow of donations to charities linked to terrorism. They have barred Saudi charities from sending money out of the country and have prohibited individuals from making anonymous wire transfers of cash.

A senior Treasury Department counter- terrorism official said Bush administration officials had repeatedly raised their concerns about Hamas financing with Saudi leaders. American officials have also begun to work closely with the Palestinian Authority on the issue, including meeting with Amin Haddad, governor of the Palestinian Monetary Authority.

Some terrorism and political analysts say Hamas is divided into two wings: one carries on social work, like hospitals and schools; a military wing engages in armed attacks and suicide bombings against civilians.

Other analysts say there is no longer a clear distinction between Hamas's social and military operations. Members of Hamas, Al Qaeda and Islamic Jihad often work within one another's organizations, they say, and all three groups were born of an older group, the Muslim Brotherhood.

Earlier this month, after intense lobbying by the United States and Israel, the European Union placed the political wing of Hamas on its blacklist of terrorist organizations, which means the 15 members of the European Union can freeze Hamas's assets.

In the Hamas document, drafted last November before the war with Iraq had begun, Hamas officials concluded that "among many echelons in Saudi Arabia, there is clear, tangible and conspicuous mistrust of the United States, particularly in view of its succumbing to the influence and incitement of the Zionist lobby."

"They consider the expected American attack on Iraq as only the first step, which will have ramifications for everyone, especially for Saudi Arabia," the document added.

A senior American diplomat in the Middle East pointed out that wealthy Saudis contribute at least 2 percent of their annual income to charitable causes, and that charities that assist hospitals, schools and orphanages in Gaza and the West Bank are flooded with donations from Saudi citizens. Names of charities often change, and it sometimes takes years to determine whether a charity is a front for Hamas, the official said. "It is considered rude in the kingdom to inquire about the motives behind a charity, and so Saudis don't do it," the official added.

The conference that Mr. Mishaal attended last year was held by the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, a Saudi charitable organization based here. The charity's American branch was incorporated in Virginia in 1992 by Abdullah bin Laden, a relative of Osama bin Laden. Members of the Saudi royal family have contributed large sums to the charity, which has publicly stated that one of its educational goals is to "arm the Muslim youth with full confidence in the supremacy of the Islamic system over other systems."

Although the World Assembly, which is known as WAMY, has not been charged with a crime in the United States, law enforcement officials in India and the Philippines have accused it of financing terrorism in their countries.

According to the Israeli military, Hamas's spiritual leader, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, in a speech last month in Gaza, thanked the World Assembly and another Saudi charity for their continued financial support. On Sept. 6, Sheik Yassin narrowly escaped assassination when an Israeli Air Force jet dropped a bomb on a building in Gaza City where he and other Hamas leaders had gathered.

Saleh Sulaiman al-Wohaibi, the secretary general of the World Assembly, has adamantly denied that his charity provides contributions to terrorist organizations.

"WAMY has been publishing annual reports detailing expenses, humanitarian aid extended to different organizations," Mr. Wohaibi said in an interview published on Sept. 11 in The Saudi Gazette. "Hence, an organization with such lofty aims and objectives cannot be deemed to have a relationship with terrorism."


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; Israel; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: abdullah; bush; hamas; palestinian; palestinians; saudi; saudiarabia; saudis; terror; terrorism
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1 posted on 09/16/2003 10:45:50 PM PDT by montag813
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To: montag813

2 posted on 09/16/2003 10:48:46 PM PDT by montag813
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To: montag813
Nearly a year ago, Khalid Mishaal, a senior leader of Hamas, the militant Palestinian organization, attended a charitable fund-raising conference here where he talked at length with Crown Prince Abdullah, the de facto Saudi ruler. According to a summary of the meeting written by a Hamas official, Mr. Mishaal and other Hamas representatives thanked their Saudi hosts for continuing "to send aid to the people through the civilian and popular channels, despite all the American pressures exerted on them." "This is indeed a brave posture deserving appreciation," the Hamas officials said, the document said.
3 posted on 09/16/2003 10:49:33 PM PDT by montag813
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To: montag813
One of Osama's goals was to implicate the Saudis in the 9/11 attacks such that they would lose U.S. support and permit conditions to arise favorable for a Taliban-style takeover of Riyadh.

No doubt that the NY Times would love to aid and abet this goal, too.

4 posted on 09/16/2003 10:50:14 PM PDT by Southack (Media bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: montag813
praise from Hamas ... telethons to support terrorist Palestinians ... hmmmm ....
5 posted on 09/16/2003 10:55:14 PM PDT by Bobby777 (John 3:17-18, Romans 10:9-10)
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To: Southack
You have seen the motive for this NYT article.

All the bashing of SA ignores the fact that the alternative would have the Taliban running SA to the detriment of the entire region.

6 posted on 09/16/2003 11:03:49 PM PDT by OldFriend (DEMS INHABIT A PARALLEL UNIVERSE)
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To: OldFriend
I agree with your assumption.

Also in the muslim faith, it is necessary to give Zakat (not sure of the spelling), but it's charity. They must give this as its a pillar of their faith.

How this money is distributed, the giver does not know, but when we give charity in the west to the church, do we know where it ends up really?

7 posted on 09/17/2003 1:49:49 AM PDT by John_11_25
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To: John_11_25
Just think of all the misdirected dollars that we donated to the United Way, and all those TV begathons.

Didn't Alex Baldwin use the money donated to his mother's breast cancer research center for an apartment for mom, a new Mercedes..etc.

I do believe Colin Powell's Red Wagon charity got caught misappropriating funds as well.

8 posted on 09/17/2003 4:51:16 AM PDT by OldFriend (DEMS INHABIT A PARALLEL UNIVERSE)
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To: OldFriend
"Didn't Alex Baldwin use the money donated to his mother's breast cancer research center for an apartment for mom, a new Mercedes..etc."

I think dollars flowing to terrorist organizations are a wee bit more severe than Alex setting his mom up in a new crib.

The Saudis can hand out all the food and medicine they want and will receive no condemnation. When they knowingly give to organizations that funnel the money to terrorism, we have a problem.

9 posted on 09/17/2003 5:21:08 AM PDT by CoolGuyVic
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To: CoolGuyVic
The point is that many people donate to charities and have no idea where the money is spent.

No doubt there are those in the SA royal family who are paying off terrorists.

The solution is to root those dogs out, not destroy the entire royal family and allow OBL to take over the country.

10 posted on 09/17/2003 5:22:52 AM PDT by OldFriend (DEMS INHABIT A PARALLEL UNIVERSE)
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To: CoolGuyVic
Hamas does have a armed wing, however they also have an educational wing, hospital wing extra. It was actually created with the help of the Israeli's all thise years ago.

However they did not forsee or plan for the armed wing.

So people give to Hamas to help the poor unfortunates and some of it is syphoned off of to the armed wing.

Just like the Sein Fein in Northern Ireland, when a large number of Irish Americans used to financially support their kin folk in Ireland and money was syphoned off to the IRA

It is very very difficult to police any charity and what the money is used to buy, or whose salary it pays, especially when it is a world wide Charity.

The best thing to do is cancel the tax free charity status of all organisations (including churches and religious organisations, red cross etc).

All charities throughout the world must declare all their income and spendings in detail. If they do not want to do it, then close them down.

The only reason they would not want to do it is becuase they are doing something illegal or embarassing.

11 posted on 09/17/2003 5:50:23 AM PDT by John_11_25
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Yehuda; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; ...
If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

Fortunately, the Saudis have plenty of political cover.

"I'm shocked - SHOCKED - to find that gambling is going on in here."

Your winnings, sir.

12 posted on 09/17/2003 7:10:43 AM PDT by SJackson
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To: SJackson
Saudi Arabia - Keeping their friends close, but their enemies closer.
13 posted on 09/17/2003 7:12:56 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: OldFriend
The solution is to root those dogs out, not destroy the entire royal family and allow OBL to take over the country.

If Al Qaeda takes over the country we could declare war just as we did in Iraq.

14 posted on 09/17/2003 7:14:23 AM PDT by Alouette (The bombing begins in five minutes.)
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To: SJackson; dennisw; Cachelot; Yehuda; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; ...
For more on this plese see the SITE Institute
http://www.siteinstitute.org/index.asp

AL QAEDA TROLLS 'NET

By NILES LATHEM




September 15, 2003 -- WASHINGTON - Al Qaeda has launched a sophisticated Internet campaign to recruit an army of murderers to travel to Iraq to wreak havoc on U.S. and coalition forces.
A terrorism research group which monitors al Qaeda's Internet communications has provided The Post with chilling details of the high-tech recruitment drive in which potential fighters are bombarded with religious decrees and anti-U.S. propaganda as well as training manuals on how to be a terrorist.

Willing recruits are also being given specific instructions on how to go to Iraq through a maze of secret chat rooms.

In one particularly graphic exchange in a secret al Qaeda chat room on Sept. 3, an unknown Islamic fanatic, with the user name "Redemption Is Close," writes:

"Brothers, how do I go to Iraq for Jihad? Are there any army camps and is there someone who commands there?"

Four days later he gets a reply from a mystery man with the user name "Merciless Terrorist."

"Dear Brother, the road is wide open for you - there are many groups, go look for someone you trust, join him, he will be the protector of the Iraqi regions and with the help of Allah you will become one of the Mujahidin."



"Redemption is Close" then presses for more specific information on how he can become a jihad fighter in Iraq.

"Merciless Terrorist" sends him a propaganda video and instructs him to download software called Pal Talk, which enables users to communicate with each other by voice on the Internet. That will lead him to an impossible-to-monitor "talking chat room," where he can get details on how to sign up for jihad in Iraq.

Terror experts say recruits are then directed to sympathetic mosques or Islamic centers, where they are screened and passed on to al Qaeda recruiters.

The frightening Internet traffic was monitored and translated by the SITE Institute, a counter-terrorism group that consults with the government as well as some families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks in their $1 trillion lawsuit against the network of banks and charities funding al Qaeda.

Rita Katz, SITE Institute's director and author of the recent book "Terrorist Hunter," told The Post that the exchanges are proof that Osama bin Laden believes that Iraq is now the epicenter of his holy war against the United States and that his terror network is actively organizing a campaign of violence designed to drive out U.S. forces.

"Al Qaeda's use of the Internet is amazing. We know from past cases - from captured al Qaeda fighters who say they joined up through the Internet - that this is one of the principal ways they recruit fighters and suicide bombers," she said.

"They are spending a lot of money and resources right now on Iraq. They see it as the new Afghanistan," Katz said, referring to the effort in the 1980s against Soviet invaders, a campaign that spawned the birth of al Qaeda.

Many analysts believe that these foreign fighters were behind the recent suicide bombings.



15 posted on 09/17/2003 7:25:01 AM PDT by Valin (There is all the difference in the world between treating people equally and attempting to make them)
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To: Southack
One of Osama's goals was to implicate the Saudis in the 9/11 attacks such that they would lose U.S. support and permit conditions to arise favorable for a Taliban-style takeover of Riyadh

I guess that involved getting the repugnant House of Saud to pony up tons of cash to bin laden, so that his terrorists would commit their mayhem and slaughter elsewhere. They raise money for terrorists and, until recently, openly funded the likes of al qaeda and the so-called palis who like to strap on bomb belts and blow up innocents. The Saudis can go to hell.

16 posted on 09/17/2003 7:28:50 AM PDT by NYC GOP Chick (The State Dept. is in desperate need of a USA Desk.)
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To: John_11_25
Hamas does have a armed wing, however they also have an educational wing, hospital wing extra.

bin laden is also revered throughout that fetid region for giving money to the poor people there. Does that mean we should just ignore the "armed wing" of al qaeda and treat them as just another political group?

17 posted on 09/17/2003 7:30:55 AM PDT by NYC GOP Chick (The State Dept. is in desperate need of a USA Desk.)
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To: OldFriend
And you equate that with these bastards raising money to pay for the slaughter of innocent civilians?!

Those bastards paid, at least in part, for the 9/11 attacks! Wake up and face the reality!

18 posted on 09/17/2003 7:33:19 AM PDT by NYC GOP Chick (The State Dept. is in desperate need of a USA Desk.)
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To: montag813
With all this cash money flowing to Hamas, and the influence it buys, there is no incentive for arabs to realize any peace agreements with Israel.

Its all part of the pan-Islamic hateocracy.

19 posted on 09/17/2003 7:33:58 AM PDT by rageaholic
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To: montag813; Sabertooth; Betty Jo
I have read that WAMY also publishes and distributes the works of Qutb, the intellectual father of Islamofascism.

Hey, wasn't that Saudi radiologist in San Antonio that was held and then released after 9/11 very much involved in WAMY?

20 posted on 09/17/2003 7:41:06 AM PDT by aristeides
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