“The kingdom has always been serious in its efforts in confronting terror financing. We are monitoring all transactions to banks,” said Major General Mansour Al-Turki, a spokesman for the Saudi Interior Ministry, on Wednesday.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has also supported this claim. “Saudi Arabia is a partner in the fight against ISIS,” Ayrault stated at a press conference at the United Nations in New York on June 10.
The Iraqi central government, however, has raised questions of Saudi Arabia’s possible connections with ISIS. Baghdad is demanding an explanation from Saudi Arabia after a senior Saudi official admitted to fundraising in the kingdom for ISIS terrorists fighting in the Iraqi city of Fallujah.
“We are waiting for a clarification from the Saudi Government regarding its spokesman’s press statements regarding the collection of financial donations for ISIS within the kingdom due to the compassion of some people with it,” reads a statement from Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “This case is considered as an obvious violation to the Security Council’s decisions.”
Turki responded by claiming that any fundraising on behalf of Fallujah was for the “children of Fallujah.”
Other critics of Saudi Arabia and their relationship with ISIS have been slow to relinquish their critique of the Kingdom. PixelHELPER, a Germany-based arts activist group against the Islamic State and the countries suspected of funding the terrorist network, believe that Saudi Arabia is in fact funding the Islamic group and is thus responsible for the refugee crisis overwhelming the EU.
In May of 2016, the group projected an ISIS flag with a caption reading “Daesh Bank” on the Saudi Arabian embassy in Berlin.
The Saudis, and other Sunni Gulf monarchies, have been accused of overlooking the activities of private charitable organizations within their borders which are suspected of sending money to terrorist groups. Turki has sought to disprove this suspicion and has pointed out that the Saudis have been targets of attacks by ISIS.
Turki also said Riyadh seeks to clamp down on the financing of terrorist groups by banning private fundraising by charitable organizations or sending money abroad. All donations must now go through the state-controlled King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center which has been involved in relief services throughout the Middle East, including territories of the Islamic State and Houthi-controlled Yemen.
Additionally the government is increasing its monitoring of internet and television use for anyone they suspect of raising funds to support such terrorist groups and has set up a hotline for people to report anyone who they suspect might be raising funds for terrorists.
