WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The United States has remained mum on whether Saudi
Arabia finances the Palestinian suicide bombing campaign against Israel.The U.S. policy comes as Palestinian sources acknowledge that Saudi
Arabia has provided money to the families of suicide bombers. They said
charities from such Gulf Cooperation Council countries as Qatar and Saudi
Arabia have relayed thousands of dollars for the survivors of so-called
martyrs.U.S. officials said the Bush administration has been careful to avoid
any connection between the Saudi kingdom and the Palestinian campaign to
send suicide bombers to Israel. They said the administration has established
that Riyad is cooperating with efforts to block financing to those groups
deemed as terrorists by the State Department.Saudi Arabia has provided the Palestinian Authority and Islamic groups
about $500 million over the last 18 months, officials said. The officials
said most of the money has gone to PA Chairman Yasser Arafat and the Hamas
movement.
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