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WASHINGTON--The
tragic terrorist attacks in
Saudi Arabia about a month
ago let the world know that
the war on terrorism is far
from over. The talk of
having al-Qaida "on the
run" was clearly overly
optimistic. Instead of
self-destructing, al-Qaida
appears to be morphing into
something new and perhaps
even more dangerous--and not
only for
America
.
The
Saudis, too, have clearly
received a wake-up call.
While their words and deeds
in the war on terrorism have
been constructive, the
entire international
coalition fighting terrorism
needs to reassess,
reorganize and come back at
al-Qaida with innovative,
forceful and effective
strategies.
What
al-Qaida wants most
is to see the
international
community fight
amongst themselves
as they move through
the shadows,
stalking their next
victims. Now is the
time to band
together--not point
fingers.
Saudi
Arabia
was waging a war on
terrorism long
before that phrase
entered the
vocabulary of the
U.S.
media.
Saudi Arabia
was al-Qaida's first
victim. It remains
al-Qaida's top
target.
The
country's General
Intelligence Directorate has
been battling various
terrorist groups for over 40
years. In 1994,
Saudi Arabia
froze all of Osama bin
Laden's assets. In an
unprecedented move, it also
revoked his citizenship. In
1997,
Saudi Arabia
and the
United States
established a joint
counterterrorism committee
to exchange specific
information about al-Qaida.
And last year the U.S.-Saudi
Joint Working Group on
Terrorism was formed.
Since
9/11,
Saudi Arabia
has questioned over 2,000
people, made over 300
arrests, and sent more than
90 suspected al-Qaida
members to trial. In fact,
virtually every arrest to
date of a major al-Qaida
figure has been accomplished
with
Saudi Arabia
's assistance.
It
is tragic that, in the past,
the generosity of Saudi
Arabian charities has been
abused. In meetings I had
with Saudi Arabian Cabinet
ministers soon after the
9/11 terrorist attacks, each
official practically pleaded
that, as an urgent matter,
the U.S. government assist
in helping to put into place
as soon as possible an
appropriate system that
would enable the Saudi
Arabian government to
monitor effectively all
charitable and other foreign
financial exchanges that
occur outside normal banking
mechanisms and transactions.
The
Saudi Arabian government set
up a Financial Intelligence
Unit linking its central
bank with banks in the
kingdom to track suspected
transactions. A high
commission for oversight of
charities was established.
As
a result, all charities are
now subject to monitoring
and audits. Moreover,
charitable activities that
extend beyond the country's
borders must now be
coordinated with the Foreign
Ministry.
While
no country, neither
Saudi Arabia
nor ours, is bereft of
blemish on a variety of
fronts, much of what passes
for considered opinion in
the blame-the-Saudis game
would seem by most
standards, including
American ones, to be unfair.
What is worse, it also goes
against the numerous
consistent, and public,
statements by senior
U.S.
government officials who
have repeatedly commended
the kingdom for its
cooperation in the war
against terrorism.
Accusatory
voices in this country are
apparently bent on
alienating the strongest
Arab ally we have. It is sad
that at the very moment when
Saudi Arabia
embraces a multifaceted
reform program and
accelerated modernization,
narrowing the ideological
divide between East and
West, its American
antagonists direct their
efforts to widen the gap and
push it further away.
These
divisive efforts are
simultaneously being made in
the
Middle East
by the very same terrorists
that murdered American and
Saudi citizens, along with
many others.
To
impugn the character and
intent of the leaders of a
country from which the
United States
has derived incalculable
benefits for more than half
a century, and which, among
independent Arab countries
since the 1930s, has been
America
's oldest and most
consistent friend, is one
thing. To do so in the face
of its recent tragedy and
all that it has been doing
and accomplished to date in
its efforts to right
previous wrongs is hardly a
fair return for the steps
that Saudi Arabia has taken
to combat terrorism.
This
commentary was originally
published on
June 19, 2003
by the Free
Lance-Star,
Fredericksburg
,
VA.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr.
John Duke Anthony
is Publisher, Saudi
American Forum;
Co-Founder and
Vice-President of
the Council for
Saudi American
Dialogue; President
and CEO, National
Council on U.S.
Arab-Relations;
Secretary, U.S.-GCC
Corporate
Cooperation
Committee; Publisher
of GulfWire. All are
Washington,
D.C.-based nonprofit
and non-governmental
organizations
dedicated to
educating Americans
and others about the
Arab countries, the
Middle East
, and the Islamic
world.
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