Clinton: Saudis World’s Largest Terror Funders

WikiLeaks Cables Bring Renewed Attention to Saudi Terror Funding

A new flurry of WikiLeaks cables may prove embarrassing to Saudi Arabia, as the documents show US allegations that the nation is the “world’s largest source” for funding to al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and other Sunni terror groups.

The new documents include a December 2009 memo signed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging diplomats to press Saudi Arabia on the funding efforts, despite other documents praising the Saudi government as a “key partner” is stopping such funding.

US officials have expressed concerns about Saudi funding for terror in the past, but the cables provide a more frank assessment of what the US sees as the major problems, primarily the Saudi government’s reluctance to crack down on religious charities.

Other dispatches point to other regional countries, from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to Kuwait as serious problems, but it seems none are as serious a source of funds as Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government has yet to comment on the cables.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.