New York Times: U.S. Relies Heavily on Saudi Money to Arm So-called Syrian “Moderate opposition”

WASHINGTON-The American administration has relied on the Saudi regime for financing covert operations aiming to train and arm the terrorists called by Washington as “Syria’s moderate opposition”, the American “New York Times” reporters Mark Mazzetti and Matt Apuzzo said in an article published on Saturday. They clarified that the American-Saudi cooperation in arming what they call “Rebel groups” in different parts of the world goes back to the seventies of last century.

The two reporters made it clear that when US President Barack Obama authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to begin arming the so-called Syria’s “moderate opposition” in 2013, the spy agency knew it would have a willing partner to help pay for the covert operation. It was the same partner the C.I.A. has relied on for decades for money and discretion in far-off conflicts: the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Since then, the C.I.A. and its Saudi counterpart have maintained an unusual arrangement for the terrorists-training mission. Under the deal, current and former US administration officials said, the Saudis contribute both weapons and large sums of money, and the C.I.A takes the lead in training the terrorist on AK-47 assault rifles and tank-destroying missiles, according to the writers.

They pointed out that the long intelligence relationship with oil-rich Saudi Arabia helps explain why the United States has been reluctant to openly criticize Saudi Arabia for its human rights abuses, its treatment of women and its support for Wahhabism, that has inspired many  terrorist groups in the world.

The writers said that although the Saudis have been public about their helping terrorist groups in Syria, the extent of their partnership with the C.I.A.’s covert action campaign and their direct financial support had not been disclosed. Details were pieced together in interviews with a half-dozen current and former American officials and sources from several Gulf countries. Most spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the program.

The New York Times reporters stressed that from the moment the C.I.A. operation was started, Saudi money supported it. They pointed out that the White House has embraced the covert financing from Saudi Arabia and from Qatar, Jordan and Turkey at a time when Obama has pushed gulf nations to take a greater security role in the region.

Hamda Mustafa