Foxy,

Between 1975 and 2002, Saudi Arabia spent $70 billion in overseas aid, building 1,500 mosques, 210 Islamic centers, 202 colleges, and almost 2,000 schools in non-Islamic countries.

In September 2002, Canadian intelligence indicated that Saudi charities were still supplying al-Qaeda with between $1 million and $2 million a month. U.S. Department of Treasury general counsel David Aufhauser later testified before a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security that Saudi Arabia is "in many cases ... the epicenter" of terrorist financing.
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-9877/Follow-the-Saudi-money-can.html

According to a former official who spoke under the condition of anonymity, al-Haramain ( a Saudi charity ) operated in Cambodia under a "dual agenda"--along with financial aid and humanitarian services, the organization brought in "personnel who did not seem to have connections to established humanitarian organizations, but who were instead linked to political Islam ... associated with terrorist or political activities." U.S. and Cambodian intelligence found that some of the aid workers had spent time in Afghan training camps or had been affiliated with extremist movements in Arab countries.

It turns out that the system of federal subsidies to university programs of Middle East Studies (under Title VI of the Higher Education Act) has been serving as a kind of Trojan horse for Saudi influence over American K-12 education. http://closedcafeteria.blogspot.com/2007/07/k-12-and-saudi-money.html

I agree there is NOW every likelihood that the money may be given back. Alternatively they might spend the money as they see fit. The difference is that this is after the VC has been caught out telling the Saudis he would let them decide how the money was spent. After telling them he could keep it quiet.

That’s the profoundly disturbing part.

Yes they say they want to teach moderate Islam, but then they go and take money from a group dedicated to spreading fundamentalist Islam. WTF

If you don’t believe that the Saudis have been involved in financing terror it won’t matter what other links I post

Dear Paul,

Why should I disbelieve what you're saying?

Your arguments are valid, well argued, and make a great deal of sense.

Thank You for clarifying the matter for me.

Much appreciated.

Paul and other conservatives. Aren't the Saudis the neocon's and the conservative right in general very best Arab friends and allies?

It confuses me that the left are accused by some of you of 'supporting' Wahabbism when obviously the conservatives are as thick as thieves with Saudi Arabia and say not a word against their human rights violations or lack of political freedom. You squeal about evil Islam, rattle sabers in Iran's direction, invade Iraq yet go on kissing tours in Saudi Arabia.

Why was Iraq the great evil and not Saudi Arabia? As pointed out the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi and Egyptian. Another great friend who helps us upright Christian nations do the dirty work and interrogates our prisoners.

There was no law that women were to be veiled in Iraq. The universities were secular. In Iran women can drive cars, go to universities and only need to cover their hair. No black chadors.

The left are not apologists for fundamentalists, Islam or Christian. The conservative right is. When it suits their own purposes they suddenly go all mushy and start making pro democracy noises supposedly to 'help' the poor oppressed citizens. I haven't heard a peep about removing the wahabbi royalty and freeing the Saudi citizens.

If a university cannot accept money from Saudi Arabia, and yes that is a legitimate premise, it also cannot accept money from Catholic groups or any other religious group.

The problem with right wing conservatives is that they can't think for themselves, whether an argument is actually logical or consistent. It always comes down to emotive language and name calling.

yvonne my thoughts exactly,
America and Britain have been great patrons to the Saudi dynasty from the time of the establishment of its hegemony in the Peninsula, subsequently resulting in billions upon billions of dollars in arms flowing into the region with the quelling of any dissidence that didn't complement Western oil interest's. It seems the unwaivering support for barons, imperialists and fascists is less of an important issue...

In relation to the funding I believe it was in the amount of $100,000, furthermore;

"The Saudi Government imposed no restriction or demand on the use of the funds it donated to Griffith's Islamic Research Unit. The university followed standard practices in sourcing and accepting this donation, which has been on the public record since the day it was made."

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2226078.htm

I fail to see anything sinister with the funding, i just hope that the university remains free from being influenced by any external interests and that critical judgments and evaluations pertain strongly to the issue.

Storm? meet the teacup

Yvonne said:

"yet go on kissing tours in Saudi Arabia."

Peachy jumps in and agrees....

SO DO I !

in fact.. what I sooooo don't get is why the "Left" is supportive of things which are clearly not in our interests, (the Dean Mighell anti racism rally in Brunswick) where the only interests served are those of either the union movements left wing. NOR...do I get the 'Right's being in bed with the Elite Saudi's etc...

OH WAIT... no, I actually do 'get' it... the issue is best illustrated by the Malaysian phenomenon of the Economically 'rich' infidel Chinese, being in bed with the Politically powerful Malays (Muslims.)

It's all about 'Lets get rich together'.

Arjay opened up a theme with his thread about resources. "We sell coal and natural gas to the Chinese for a song, while we pay through the nose"

Again.."rich, powerful Australians, in bed with 'rich powerful chinese" and it's to our detriment.

Blair supressed investigation into the 'Saudi Arms deal' because clearly too many powerful British companies were implicated.

I think this might be best described as "Incestuous nobility cross fertilization"

the "left" has the wrong target. Instead of supporting the Muslims and attacking those criticizing Saudi funding...they should join the rest of us who condemn both Left AND Right for selling us out to powerful interests.

How in the blazes...does supporting Saudi funding of Islamist enclaves in left wing universities help anyone...even the Left?