Earth to Condi, Dick, W - US Intelligence:Al Qaida's main money source still the Saudis

WASHINGTON -- The United States has resigned itself to the conclusion reached by its intelligence community that Saudi Arabia remains the chief financial source of Al Qaida.

The Bush administration has acknowledged that Riyad has rejected U.S. efforts and continues to relay funding to Al Qaida, Taliban and other Islamic groups deemed terrorist.

"Saudi Arabia today remains the location where more money is going to terrorism, to Sunni terror groups and to the Taliban than any other place in the world," Treasury Undersecretary Stuart Levey said. "I think part of it is unwillingness to move forward on public accountability."

Levey said the Saudi kingdom has failed to honor its pledge to operate a financial intelligence unit designed to track and seize Al Qaida funding.

In testimony to the Senate Finance Committee on April 1, Levey said Saudi Arabia has not tried to stop its citizens from financing Al Qaida. He said much of the money to Al Qaida and related insurgency groups stem from contributions to Muslim charities.

"That's a real problem," Levey, who would not discuss intelligence sharing with Riyad, said. "The things we have asked them to do they are capable of doing."

Saudi Arabia has distinguished between Al Qaida operations and finances. Levey said Riyad has captured and imprisoned scores of Al Qaida operatives, but failed to block funding to the movement led by Osama Bin Laden.

"We continue to face significant challenges as we move forward with these efforts, including fostering and maintaining the political will among other governments to take effective and consistent action," Levey said. "Our work is not nearly complete."

Officials acknowledged the Saudi refusal to block financing to Al Qaida despite U.S. plans to export $20 billion worth of weapons and military platforms to Riyad. They said the two countries held several meetings on ways to block Al Qaida funding, much of it directed to fuel the Sunni insurgency against the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.

"I don't understand how the Saudis can continue to drag their feet on this when oil is selling at $100 a barrel," Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, said. "Isn't tackling these questions come down to the royal family's political will?"

Mark this guy down as another idiot.

SENATOR RON WYDEN, MORON. D-OREGON

Political will? It is their political will to find ways to continue to oppose us and our objectives. The only thing they want from us is cash for oil and eventual submission to the will of god. It is your failure to discern their will that marks you as a galactically stupid individual.

The Senate Finance Committee has been examining Saudi financing to Al Qaida, including the Treasury's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, established in 2004. The committee has ordered an independent review of U.S. and international efforts to block funds to Al Qaida and related groups.

"Without terrorism financing, there is no terrorism," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus told Levey. "They would be unable to do harm to Americans or our allies around the world. TFI is the goalie in our fight to prevent money from getting into the hands of would-be terrorists. You must not let a shot get through."

TFI, designed to coordinate 19 federal agencies, was said to have struggled with alternative financial institutions and new technology. Committee members cited stored value cards -- pre-paid cards that enable people to move money across borders without cash or banks.

"We are simply not prepared right now to keep up with them and put them out of business once and for all," Sen. Charles Grassley, the ranking Republican, said.