The Hindu : Charities funding Al-Qaeda: U.S.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 22, 2003

International

International

Charities funding Al-Qaeda: U.S.

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington Aug. 21. At a time when there are definite strains in the relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia, the Federal Government here has alleged for the first time that Islamic charities based in Northern Virginia and sponsored by the Government of Saudi Arabia invested millions of dollars in a company that is suspected of funding the Al Qaeda and the Islamic Resistance Movement, according to The Washington Post.

The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement has filed an affidavit in a federal court saying that Muslim charities gave some $ 3.7 millions to a private Islamic investment company in New Jersey, the BMI Inc, that passed on money to terrorist outfits. The funds were part of a $10 millions from unnamed donors in Jeddah, according to the affidavit the news report says.

The U.S. Government, since the September 11 attacks, has been vigorously investigating the sources of terror finance and part of the investigation has focussed on a group of Herndon-based organisations. The probe has identified that the investments linked with terrorist organisations.

The U. S., in the aftermath of September 11, has drawn up a number of laws and executive measures to choke off financing of terror groups; and the Al Qaeda, while heading the pack, is not the only one. The investigation and tracking down of terror finance, including hawala type deals, is said to span at least four continents.

Enforcement and intelligence officials have been paying a lot of attention on Soliman Biheiri who is said to have founded the BMI investment company in 1986.

According to The Post story, one of the company's chief investors was a Saudi businessman named Yasin Qadi who has been named by the U.S. and the United Nations a "specially designated global terrorist" for his alleged support of the Al Qaeda and the Islamic Resistance Movement or the Hamas. Qadi has denied any role in terrorist financing.

According to the affidavit filed in court, the Federal Government has apparently maintained that the BMI attracted millions of dollars from Virginia-based charities which are largely funded by the Saudi Government and wealthy individuals in that country. But what is not clear is whether this $3.7 millions came from the Saudi Government or from private individuals there.

The latest allegations could touch off yet another round of criticism of Saudi Arabia in this country; and if the recent past is anything to go by, a lot of noise will come from Capitol Hill where Republicans and Democrats have been urging the Bush administration to come out and lay all the cards pertaining to the Royal Kingdom as it pertained to September 11.

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