Ok, so let me get this right .... The US Department of Treasury is accusing the Kuwaiti Minister of Justice of funding terrorism. “On March 4, U.S. Treasury Undersecretary David Cohen at a conference named Al Ajmi as a financier of Al Qaida.” Them are some purty strong words.... With all the lawyers that the US has, if they didn't have evidence, would they say it? Hmmmm...
The only reason I researched the story a little
deeper was because the article that appeared today in the Arab Times was so
cryptic and left me with so many unanswered questions – that I had to.
Just sayin’ but perhaps charity should start
at home (with the Bedoon living in Taima and Sulaibiya and other areas of
KUWAIT) and not overseas in areas where the “donations” might be “interpreted”
as something other than honorable, charitable acts.... Resolving the Bedoon issue AT HOME would be noble, honorable, and charitable and would not lead to questions of impropriety. But hey - that's just my 2 cents. I'm not the U.S. Treasury Undersecretary or anything.
Re-post from: Special to WorldTribune.com
ABU DHABI — A Kuwaiti minister has been
challenged to confirm allegations by the United States that he helped fund Al
Qaida. Kuwaiti Justice Minister Nayef Al Ajmi was
accused by a senior U.S. official of promoting what was termed terrorism.
Kuwaiti Justice Minister Nayef Al Ajmi
Al Ajmi, who also serves as Islamic Affairs
minister, was also said to have facilitated funds to Al Qaida’s Islamic State
of Iraq and Levant as well as Nusra Front for the Defense of the Levant.
“We expect the minister to either hand in
his resignation immediately or reject the accusations and sue the U.S.
official,” Kuwaiti parliamentarian Nabil Al Fadel said. “Lapsing into silence
will only fuel speculation and doubt.”
On March 4, U.S. Treasury Undersecretary
David Cohen at a conference named Al Ajmi as a financier of Al Qaida. Cohen,
said ISIL and Nusra were soliciting contributions from several Arab and Muslim
states, particularly Kuwait and Qatar.
“The Ministry of Endowments announced it
would allow non-profit organizations and charities to collect donations for the
Syrian people at Kuwaiti mosques, a measure we believe can be easily exploited
by Kuwait-based terrorist fundraisers,” Cohen, referring to Al Ajmi, said.
In his statement, Al Fadel quoted Cohen as
saying that the Kuwaiti minister “has a history of promoting terrorism.” The
parliamentarian cited Cohen’s criticism of Al Ajmi’s appointment to the two
ministerial posts.
“Kuwait has become the epicenter of
fundraising for terrorist groups in Syria,” Cohen was quoted as saying.
In his address to the Washington-based
Center for a New American Security, Cohen became the first senior U.S. official
to detail Kuwaii and Qatari help to Al Qaida militias in Syria. Cohen,
responsible for financial intelligence, said the contributions were being
directed to ISIL and Nusra, which could result in attacks in the West.
“Apart from their highly destabilizing role
in the ongoing conflict there, these well-funded and well-equipped groups may
soon turn their attention to attacks outside of Syria, particularly as scores
of newly radicalized and freshly trained foreign recruits return from Syria to
their home countries,” Cohen said.
The U.S. official has urged Kuwait, which
uses Qatar as a waystation for contributions, to increase measures to stop
funds to Al Qaida. Over the last year, the Gulf Cooperation Council sheikdom
has announced steps to implement oversight over contributions to Muslim
charities.
“Private fundraising networks in Qatar
increasingly rely upon social media to solicit donations for terrorists and to
communicate with both donors and recipient radicals on the battlefield,” Cohen
said. “This method has become so lucrative, and Qatar has become such a
permissive terrorist financing environment, that several major Qatar-based
fundraisers act as local representatives for larger terrorist fundraising
networks that are based in Kuwait.”
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