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Related: About this forumObama to Visit Saudi Arabia, Key Source of Funding for Growing Jihadi Militarism in Middle East
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Obama to Visit Saudi Arabia, Key Source of Funding for Growing Jihadi Militarism in Middle East
Despite Saudi Arabias funding and arming of militants in Syria, Iraq and beyond, President Obama is set to visit the kingdom this week to meet with King Abdullah. Its the only Middle Eastern or Gulf nation on Obamas overseas itinerary. Many analysts say the conflict in Syria has grown into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabias links to jihadist groups go back decades. Fifteen of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers were Saudi. The 9/11 Commission Report identified Saudi Arabia as the main source of al-Qaeda financing. And in 2010, WikiLeaks published U.S. diplomatic cables which identified Saudi Arabia as the worlds largest source of funds for Islamist militant groups. Members of Congress and human rights organizations have also been calling on Obama to address the kingdoms treatment of women, religious minorities and political activists. We are joined by Patrick Cockburn, Middle East correspondent for The Independent. Cockburn wrote The Independents recent five-part series examining the resurgence of jihadists across the Middle East, "Al-Qaidas Second Act: Why the Global 'War on Terror' Went Wrong."
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: "Al-Qaida, the Second Act. Why the Global 'War on Terror' Went Wrong." Thats the name of the new five-part series published in the U.K.'s Independent newspaper that examines the resurgence of jihadists across the Middle East. A key part of the series examines how Saudi Arabia has openly backed militant groups in Syria, Iraq and other countries. Many analysts say the conflict in Syria has grown into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabia's history of backing jihadist groups goes back decades. Fifteen of the 19 September 11th hijackers were Saudi. The 9/11 Commission Report identified Saudi Arabia as the main source of al-Qaeda financing. And in 2010, WikiLeaks published U.S. diplomatic cables which identified Saudi Arabia as the worlds largest source of funds for Islamist militant groups.
AMY GOODMAN: Despite this record, Saudi Arabia remains a close U.S. ally. President Obama is heading to Saudi Arabia this week to meet with King Abdullah. Saudi Arabia is the only Middle Eastern or Gulf nation on Obamas overseas itinerary. Members of Congress and human rights organizations have also been calling on Obama to address the kingdoms treatment of women, religious minorities and political activists.
To talk more about Obamas visit to the oil-rich kingdom, we go to London to speak with Patrick Cockburn, the Middle East correspondent for The Independent who wrote the five-part series on the resurgence of al-Qaeda. One of the pieces is called "Is Saudi Arabia Regretting Its Support for Terrorism?"
So, can you answer that question, Patrick Cockburn, and also talk about it in the context of President Obama meeting with King Abdullah?
PATRICK COCKBURN: The Saudis have got rather nervous at the moment thathaving supported these jihadi groups, that are all either linked to al-Qaeda or have exactly the same ideology and method of action of al-Qaeda, so theyve introduced some laws saying thatagainst Saudis fighting in Syria or elsewhere. But its probably too late for this to have any effect. The al-Qaeda-type organizations really control a massive area in northern and eastern Syria at the moment and northern and western Iraq. The largest number of volunteers fighting with these al-Qaeda-type groups are Saudi. Most of the money originally came from there. But these people now control their own oil wells. They probably are less reliant on Saudi money.
Will President Obamas visit make much difference? Its doubtful. I mean, its a rather extraordinary relationship, which doesnt get much attention, between Saudi Arabia and the United States. Saudi Arabia is one of the few theocratic absolute monarchies on Earth, and therefore it was always absurd to be allied to Saudi Arabia in a bid to introduce secular democracy in Syria or Libya or anywhere else. So, probably, they will come out with comforting statements, and the Saudis will be saying to Obama, "Well, look, were taking measures against the jihadis now, so lets step up our attempts to overthrow Assad in Syria." But in practice, the groups that theyre supporting are closely linked to Jabhat al-Nusra, the main al-Qaeda group. So I dont think things are going to change very much.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: I want to turn to U.S. diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks in 2010. In a December 2009 memo, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton identified Saudi Arabia as the worlds largest source of funds for Islamist militant groups such as the Afghan Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba. She writes, quote, "While the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia takes seriously the threat of terrorism within Saudi Arabia, it has been an ongoing challenge to persuade Saudi officials to treat terrorist financing emanating from Saudi Arabia as a strategic priority. Due in part to intense focus by the [U.S. government] over the last several years, Saudi Arabia has begun to make important progress on this front and has responded to terrorist financing concerns raised by the United States through proactively investigating and detaining financial facilitators of concern. Still, donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide."
Patrick Cockburn, that was a U.S. diplomatic cable from 2009 released in 2010. Could you explain why you think the U.S. has been hesitant to act against Saudi Arabia in the way that it has against other countries in the Arab world following 9/11, and especially following these revelations?
PATRICK COCKBURN: Its pretty extraordinary, given that so much of what happened on 9/11 can be traced back to Saudi Arabia. Why hasnt there been a greater reaction in the U.S. and the rest of the world? Well, the Saudis have cultivated people in Washington, government in Washington. There are enormous arms sales by the U.S. to Saudi Arabia. The arms on orderson order at the moment are worth a total of $86 billionfighter aircraft, helicopters, everything else. And theyve also spent money cultivating former diplomats, officials, academics and so forth. And therefore, there hasnt beenthough I find this rather amazingmore pressure on Saudi Arabia or on the U.S. government to stop Saudi Arabia supporting jihadi movements. Its not just money. Its, I mean, a lot of it, propaganda of a satellite television, which is anti-Shia, anti-Christian, anti-Jewish, hate propaganda. So long as they have these methods of propaganda, they can probably raise men and money to send to Syria and Iraq and elsewhere.
MORE AT:
http://www.democracynow.org/2014/3/26/obama_to_visit_saudi_arabia_key
leftyohiolib
(5,917 posts)thankfully theyre not kissing
KoKo
(84,711 posts)Brings up issues of why Saudi's are so important to us even though MSM doesn't mention the involvement in Funding the Terrorists which the "9/11 Commission Verified in this Presidential visit.