[A-List] US/Saudi tensions: growing backlash

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Saudis react with fury to American accusations of funding al-Qaida

Brian Whitaker in Cairo
Thursday November 28, 2002
The Guardian

A row between the US and Saudi Arabia over the funding of terrorism turned
into a no-holds-barred battle yesterday, when the kingdom unleashed the fury
of its normally state-restrained media against Washington.

The flare-up began with allegations that thousands of dollars in charitable
gifts from princess Haifa bint Faisal - wife of the Saudi ambassador in
Washington - had found their way to friends of two of the September 11
hijackers.

Although there is no evidence that the princess knew where the money had
gone, Riyadh views the affair as part of a campaign led by American
neo-conservatives to implicate prominent Saudis in the financing of
al-Qaida.

An attempt at a placatory statement by White House spokesman Ari Fleischer -
that "Saudi Arabia is a good partner in the war against terrorism but can do
more" - only fuelled the Saudi anger.

Accusing the White House of becoming caught up in an "hysterical
media-frenzy", and pandering "to congressional primadonnas in a most
disgraceful way", the Jeddah-based Arab News said Mr Fleischer's veiled
attack had opened a breach between the two countries that would be difficult
to close.

"Who does it [Washington] think it is to administer such a slap in the face
or make such imperious demands?" the paper asked. "Are we Iraq? Are we the
Afghanistan of the Taliban? We are a close ally of the US."

Other Saudi papers joined the fray. In language that could not have been
used without official blessing, al-Watan accused the US of trying to
blackmail the kingdom.

A report in the Washington Post on Tuesday, citing an unnamed American
official, said the US would ask the Saudis to act on intelligence about
terrorist financing - with the threat of an ultimatum if they failed to do
so.

"We tell them the problem and leave it to them to solve, presuming they will
act in good faith. But if they do not act in 90 days, we assume solving the
problem is beyond their ken and the United States will solve it," the
official was quoted as saying.

Secretary of state Colin Powell said later there was no substance in reports
of an ultimatum. But the US does have a list of wealthy individuals - mostly
Saudis - who it believes are financing al-Qaida and it is seeking to freeze
their assets.

A number of wealthy and prominent Saudis are also the target of a $600bn
(£400bn) compensation claim brought by families of the September 11 victims.
Among those named in the lawsuit - which alleges that they helped to fund
the al-Qaida network - is Prince Turki al-Faisal, nominated last month as
the kingdom's new ambassador in London.

Another American lawsuit arises from a congressional investigation into
child abductions which alleges that children with US citizenship have been
taken to Saudi Arabia against their will.

The House Committee on Government Reform is seeking to subpoena documents
over the allegations from Qorvis Communications, a public relations company,
and two other firms contracted to the Saudi government.

A statement issued by the committee said: "Criminal conduct, in some cases
aided and abetted by the Saudi Embassy, is at the heart of this
investigation."

Although Osama bin Laden has some popular support in Saudi Arabia, many
Saudis dismiss as ridiculous the idea that members of the royal family would
willingly provide al-Qaida with funds - the overthrow of the monarchy was
one of Bin Laden's original aims.

Unexpected support for the princess came from Saad al-Fagih of the
London-based Saudi opposition group, the Movement for Islamic Reform in
Arabia.

"I'm sure the royal family - especially Princess Haifa and Prince Bandar
[her husband] - are not at all involved in any of this business," he said.

"The royal family are much more keen to destroy Bin Laden than the Americans
and are more than motivated in their hostility to al-Qaida."