(Gulf News-Dubai)- Sebastian Rotella A 34-page report submitted to the United Nations at the request of the Security Council's president claims that Saudi Arabia has permitted up to $500 million to flow to al Qaeda through prominent Saudi donors, companies, and charities, and that the funding is continuing. Jean-Charles Brisard, the French investigator who wrote the report, spent years analyzing al Qaeda's finances for a French intelligence service. "Al Qaeda was able to receive between $300 (million) and $500 million over the last 10 years from wealthy businessmen and bankers whose fortunes represent about 20% of the Saudi GNP, through a web of charities and companies acting as fronts,'' said Brisard. "Most of this financial backbone is still at large and able to support fundamentalist institutions," he added.
2003-01-06 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive