Saudi Shiites funding Iraq Shia militias?

As Juan Cole notes this should be taken with a grain of salt, but it is certainly possible. I should imagine that wealthy Saudi Sunnis are also funding the Sunni insurgency in Iraq is even more probable. In any event the post represents the growing conflict between Shia and Sunni throughout the middle east.

From: Cole, Juan

Wealthy Gulf Shiites Allegedly Funding Iraqi Shiite Militias

The USG Open Source Center reports on and translates a message at a
Sunni jihadi discussion board that alleges that Saudi Shiites are
bankrolling Shiite parties and militias in Iraq. These allegations
should obviously be taken with a grain of salt. But at a time when the
US is trying to blame everything on Iran, it is interesting to see
this evidence that the situation is substantially more complex.

Saudi Shiites predominate in al-Hasa or the Eastern Province of Saudi
Arabia, where most of the kingdom's petroleum reserves are. They
account for 10 percent of the Saudi population (i.e. 1.5 to 2 million
persons). Traditionally repressed by the hyper-Sunni Wahhabi majority,
the Saudi Shiites have recently been more emancipated.

Here is the report:
' Forum Participant Claims Saudi Shiites Co-Financing Badr Corps,
Al-Mahdi Army
Jihadist Websites -- OSC Report
Monday, February 12, 2007 T16:57:27Z

Terrorism: Forum Participant Claims Saudi Shiites Co-Financing Badr
Corps, Al-Mahdi Army On 5 February, a Sunni participant posted a
message to a jihadist website claiming that Saudi Shiites are
co-financing Iraqi Shiites, Badr Corps, Al-Mahdi Army, and the "death
squads" to the tune of "863 million riyals ($228 million) annually."
The unconfirmed number was attributed to contributions by merchants
from Saudi Arabia and other places to the Shiite's war efforts and
groups in Iraq. The participant named a few Shiite companies and
called for a "boycott of Shiite businesses" so that Sunni money will
not support the Shiite causes and the killing of Sunnis in Iraq.

A summary of the message follows:

In his message, the participant claimed that "one-fifth of the income
of every Shiite collected by the Shiite leaders is being routed to the
efforts of spreading Shiism in the Middle East. That amount is 863
million riyals ($228 million) annually and a big part of it is coming
from Sunnis in Saudi Arabia since these Sunnis buy goods from Shiite
owned businesses."

The participant called for "the boycott of Shiite businesses and goods
throughout the kingdom and the Arabian Gulf," naming a few of them
such as fish producers in the eastern province, Al-Wataniyah Bakeries,
Al-Ajami Suppliers, and some others. The participant suggested
starting a list of all Shiite companies to be boycotted.

A few participants responded and named other Shiite owned businesses
including Al-Matrud Foods, Nijran Water, Al-Salih Clothing, Al-Nimr
Jewelers, Al-Ali Contractors, and other companies. '
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Posted By Juan to Informed Comment at 2/13/2007 06:06:00 AM

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