150 Saudi Bank Accounts suspected of funding Bin Laden

Concern about the fate of 100 Saudi nationals in Cuba

Riyadh : Saudi Monetary Authority has identified about 150 individual and business bank accounts involved in alleged money laundering activities. The Saudi authorities have been monitoring a large number of accounts suspected of funding terrorism or of having links with outlawed organizations, said Hamad Al-Sayyari, governor of Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA).

A major international conference on terrorism, money laundering and financial fraud is organised in the Kingdom to address these issues. According to media reports, a large number of Al Queda prisoners who are taken to the Cuban island are believed to be Saudi nationals.

The current move to monitor suspected accounts by Saudi law enforcement agencies came after serious allegations made by the United States that some individuals and charity organization in the Gulf countries, mainly rich Saudi businessmen, are channeling millions of dollars in donations to fund terrorism. Already a number of Islamic banks, money exchange houses and charity organisations have been either banned or restrained from indulging in terrorist funding. Similarly, some of the Western Governments have frozen the assets of Arab businessmen.

Nearly 100 of the 158 Al-Qaeda suspects detained at a US naval base in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba are Saudis, revealed Saudi Interior Minister Prince Naif announced. "The number of Saudis detained in Guantanamo is around 100," the prince told reporters Saudi Arabia "is aware (of their detention), but we don't know the charges against them except that they were captured in Afghanistan," Prince Naif said. The Saudi Government wants the Saudi detainees be handed over as they are subject to the Kingdom's rules.

"Saudi Arabia is following up with US authorities the issue of Saudi prisoners at the Guantanamo base. We hope there will be cooperation between us and the Americans in this regard," he told the Saudi daily Al-Watan. An unspecified number of Saudis who fought alongside Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda organization and the Taleban in Afghanistan are believed to have been captured by the United States, Pakistan and the new Afghan government. Pakistan said two weeks ago that about 250 "Afghan Arabs," including 240 Saudis, were arrested by joint US-Pakistani military teams on the border with Afghanistan. A number of Saudi nationals were allegedly involved in the September 11 attack on the US.

Earlier reports said Saudi Arabian Government wanted the US Government to withdraw the US Military force stationed in the Holy land. Even though the Saudi Government denied any such move, the growing anti-US feeling in the Kingdom is causing serious credibility problem for the Ruling family. Escalation of the Middle East problem by Isreal with the active US support is causing strong anti US sentiment in the Gulf region.