Dore Gold: Saudis provide most of Hamas funding

Jerusalem Post ^ | 7/15/03 | Janine Zacharia

[truthandlife]

More than 50 percent of Hamas's current funding comes from Saudi Arabia and is increasing despite US President George W. Bush's call to the kingdom to halt aid to Palestinian terrorist groups, Dore Gold, a former Israeli ambassador to the UN and a researcher of terrorist financing, said Tuesday in Washington.

"The Saudi share of Hamas funding is growing, not declining. We're getting no change in Saudi behavior," Gold said at a roundtable on Saudi terrorist financing and September 11 organized by Reps. Ileana Ros Lehtinen (R-Florida), chair of the House International Relations Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia, and Gary Ackerman (D-New York), the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee.

Gold, author of "Hatred's Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism," said the percentages were according to an Israeli national assessment.

Saudi Arabia, he said, continues to directly fund Hamas's military wing, provide funding for civilian, terrorist-front organizations, and writes checks to families of suicide bombers.

Gold said Saudi funding of Hamas would undermine any peace process the US tries to push forward and called for the US and Israel to jointly "stop the channels" of funding by Saudi Arabia to terrorists.

President Bush repeatedly urged Saudi Arabia to stop funding Hamas during and after the early June summits in Egypt and Jordan. And phase one of the US-sponsored road map for a two-state solution calls for Arab states to "cut off public and private funding and all other forms of support for groups supporting and engaging in violence and terror."

Last month, Adel al-Jubeir, foreign policy adviser to Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, denied accusations that the Saudi government systematically supports Palestinian terrorist groups.

"I hear reports constantly or charges about Saudi funding Hamas. We've said no, that's not the case. Could it be that some Saudi individuals are funding Hamas? Very likely. Hamas raises a lot of money in the United States. But in terms of as a government or a policy, we have taken a position that we condemn terrorism in all its forms, and regardless of where it occurs, and we do not fund terrorists."

During his presentation, Gold outlined contents of documents discovered by Israeli troops in Palestinian offices during a sweep of the West Bank last year, which he said proved that Saudi Arabia sends money to Hamas. Among them, was a hand-written letter by now Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, from December 2000, complaining to the Saudis about their support for Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, he said.

Rep. Ros-Lehtinen said the State Department "continues to treat the Saudis far too gingerly," and announced she would convene a hearing in September to examine the alliance between Saudi Arabia and al Qaeda.

[angkor]

she would convene a hearing in September to examine the alliance between Saudi Arabia and al Qaeda.

Let's start right here: 19 of 19 9/11 hijackers were Saudi, and 19 or 19 were al Qaeda.

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[txzman]

Can the US now understand the basics? The Wahabi sect of Islam - centered in Saudi Arabia - is the declared enemy of all the Western, non-Muslim world.

Their message is clear - as it was in the 12th century - submit, move or die.

[mickie]

Have you read the book?

[joesnuffy]

Saudis and their Wahhabi Lobby CAIR enjoy protected status

[Coroner]

I thought 15 of the 19 were Saudi. Did I miss something?????

[swarthyguy]

Rubbish!

This is a great book. And the Bush Administration is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Inc.

Discredit Saudi? Hell, they can kill 300 Americans and we don't do squat.