Saudis show new cooperation on finding al Qaeda funding
Saudi Arabia has agreed to a joint task force witht he FBI and other federal agents of the US in the search for al Qaeda funding in the Kingdom.
"...The U.S. contingent on the task force will consist of five to 15 representatives from the FBI, the Treasury Department and other government agencies that monitor terrorism financing.
"Saudi Arabia has been under intense pressure by the United States to move more aggressively against suspected terrorist financiers since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Some of the charities believed to fund the al Qaeda terrorist network are sponsored by the Saudi government, and 15 of the 19 individuals who participated in the attacks were Saudis. In recent congressional hearings, a senior government official described Saudi Arabia as the 'epicenter' of terrorist financing.
"Lormel and Aufhauser said one of the new group's top priorities would be analyzing a trove of documents seized by the Saudis following the May bombings. Immediately after the May attacks, a joint Saudi-U.S. intelligence task force was set up to track the perpetrators. That enhanced cooperation served as the template to set up a permanent group that 'went to the wellspring of terrorist financing in Saudi Arabia,' Aufhauser said.
"'There is a wealth of financial data that has not been exploited, as well as a great deal of chatter about end-of-summer terrorist threats,' Aufhauser said. 'Document exploitation and helping with threat assessments are the two immediate tactical goals.'
"But in the long term, Aufhauser said, 'we propose to create a living investigative unit that can pursue the source of terrorist financing that emanates from Saudi Arabia.'"
Saudi Arabia has agreed to a joint task force witht he FBI and other federal agents of the US in the search for al Qaeda funding in the Kingdom.
"...The U.S. contingent on the task force will consist of five to 15 representatives from the FBI, the Treasury Department and other government agencies that monitor terrorism financing.
"Saudi Arabia has been under intense pressure by the United States to move more aggressively against suspected terrorist financiers since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Some of the charities believed to fund the al Qaeda terrorist network are sponsored by the Saudi government, and 15 of the 19 individuals who participated in the attacks were Saudis. In recent congressional hearings, a senior government official described Saudi Arabia as the 'epicenter' of terrorist financing.
"Lormel and Aufhauser said one of the new group's top priorities would be analyzing a trove of documents seized by the Saudis following the May bombings. Immediately after the May attacks, a joint Saudi-U.S. intelligence task force was set up to track the perpetrators. That enhanced cooperation served as the template to set up a permanent group that 'went to the wellspring of terrorist financing in Saudi Arabia,' Aufhauser said.
"'There is a wealth of financial data that has not been exploited, as well as a great deal of chatter about end-of-summer terrorist threats,' Aufhauser said. 'Document exploitation and helping with threat assessments are the two immediate tactical goals.'
"But in the long term, Aufhauser said, 'we propose to create a living investigative unit that can pursue the source of terrorist financing that emanates from Saudi Arabia.'"
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