Kuwaiti Minister of Finance accused of funding terrorism

Earlier this month, the U.S. Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen gave a speech regarding the issue of terrorism in the Middle East and how the various insurgent groups are funded. Cohen said that while there have been steps taken in the recent past to make the area more secure, people in positions of power in some countries — he singled out Kuwait and Qatar — are willingly giving over government money to terrorist organizations. His comments have ignited a political scandal in Kuwait.

According to Cohen, these politicians are also raising money not for humanitarian reasons, but to be funneled directly into insurgent groups. Cohen said that the rising influx of money into Syria is particularly worrisome, since it is currently embroiled in a civil war and just last year almost got the United States involved in another war. The Kuwaiti government is taking Cohen's remarks very seriously, saying the Minister of Finance must outright deny the allegations or hand in his resignation, as silence will only make him appear guilty.

"Cohen added that the minister has a history of promoting terrorism. We expect the minister to either hand in his resignation immediately or reject the accusations and sue the US official. Lapsing into silence will only fuel speculation and doubt," MP Nabeel Al Fadhl said in a statement.

In his speech, Cohen said that Kuwait has become an epicenter of fundraising for terrorist groups, especially those who reside in Syria. If the Middle East has any hope of ending the rampant violence in the area, federal officials must stop raising money and providing financial support to those who are bent on causing destruction. The Kuwaiti minister has yet to acknowledge the accusations.

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