Saudi Official Solicits Funds on TV For Terrorists - And Nobody Cares?!

By Andrew Cochran

MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute) regularly provides stunning proof of the explicit, shameless intentions of terrorists and their supporters through translations of tapes and writings. Yesterday they dropped one into our laps that ought to enrage anybody who has heard the claims of Saudi government officials about their "progress" in fighting terror emanating from the Kingdom, and the support in Washington for their claims (generated by their paid lobbyists). I quote from the MEMRI dispatch:

An August 29, 2005 program on Saudi Iqra TV was devoted to supporting Jihad in Palestine. The program host began by telling all Saudis that they must donate and explained how to do so. A caption then appeared on the screen: "Saudi Committee for Support of the Al-Quds Intifada, Account No. 98, a joint account at all Saudi banks." A moderator stated that "Jihad is the pinnacle of Islam" and explained that the funds would go directly to those waging Jihad, where it would "help them carry out this mission." The program included the secretary-general of the Saudi government's Muslim World League Koran Memorization Commission, Sheikh Abdallah Basfar, who explained why it was an "obligation" for all Muslims to support Jihad. He also promised that "all of the funds sent via the known charities and organizations" would reach "your Muslim brothers." TO VIEW THIS CLIP VISIT: (link)

I have some questions about this: (1) Why does the Saudi government allow Sheikh Basfar to publicly solicit funds for "jihad," a.k.a. terrorism, on TV? (2) If Saudi authorities won't arrest this man for "material support" of terrorism, whom would they arrest for supporting terrorism, and what is the legal standard? (3) Why does the Saudi government continue to allow their banks to collect funds for terrorists? (4) Why should Americans believe any claims of "progress" against terrorism made by the Saudi government when they let a Saudi official blatently solicit funds on TV for terrorism and then allow their banks to funnel the money to terrorists?

(5) What has the Bush Administration done in reaction to this open solicitation of material support for terrorism? Has it told the Saudi government that the banks with such accounts will be subject to BSA & USA PATRIOT Act sanctions? Has it told U.S. banks who have a correspondent account with the Saudi banks with such accounts to cease such relationships? Oh, I almost forgot, the correspondent banking regulations required by the PATRIOT Act almost 4 years ago still haven't been issued. (5) Has the Bush Administration moved to designate Sheikh Basfar as a terrorist? (6) Why hasn't the Saudi government formed the financial intelligence unit that they promised to form three years ago to work with the FBI and Treasury Department? (7) Will the U.S. Congress do anything to investigate this and punish the Saudis for allowing this practice, or will the Congress just let it go and see Saudi citizens' funds used to kill Israelis, American soldiers in Iraq, and innocent people worldwide?

I could go on with more questions...I've already added one from the original post...but somehow, I get the idea that I'm wasting bytes...until the next attack.

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