Wide Saudi "Loopholes" Let Charity Funds Slip to Terrorists

(Washington Times) Shaun Waterman - Despite some success in disrupting funding for al-Qaeda, "there are still loopholes," said a Saudi official. "It is still possible for [extremist] groups to use the system for their own advantage with impunity." A charities commission that Saudi officials promised to establish as long ago as 2002 "hasn't started functioning yet," the official said. "Donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide," said a U.S. diplomatic cable from December 2009 posted by WikiLeaks, adding that the groups "probably raise millions of dollars annually from Saudi sources, often during Hajj and Ramadan," major Muslim festivals.


2010-12-24 08:13:32

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