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U.S., Saudi Arabia Fettering Charity Linked to Terrorism

(Washington Post) John Mintz - The U.S. and Saudi governments Thursday announced a joint effort to crack down on four branches of the huge Saudi-based Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, charging that its offices in Africa and Asia are being used to funnel money, arms, and personnel to al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. The two governments asked the UN to designate Al-Haramain branches in Pakistan, Indonesia, Kenya, and Tanzania as terrorist organizations, which will result in the freezing of Al-Haramain bank accounts in those countries after the four governments failed to crack down on the charity. Last year, after high-level consultation between Crown Prince Abdullah and the White House, the two governments set up joint task forces in Saudi Arabia. Dozens of FBI, CIA, and Internal Revenue Service agents now share offices in Riyadh with Saudi counterparts. They swap secret electronic intercepts and financial data and coordinate joint interrogation of suspected terrorists. U.S. and Saudi investigators continue to investigate Al-Haramain's several dozen branches around the globe and are expected to announce more terrorist designations soon. The crackdown is controversial in Saudi Arabia because Al-Haramain is "in effect the Saudis' United Way," according to one U.S. official.
2004-01-23 00:00:00
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