Editing Saudi Arabia (section)

====Allegations of sponsoring global terrorism====
{{Main|Saudi Arabia and state-sponsored terrorism}}

Saudi Arabia has been accused of sponsoring Islamic terrorism.<ref>{{cite web |author=Edward Clifford |date=2014-12-06 |title=Financing Terrorism: Saudi Arabia and Its Foreign Affairs |url=http://www.brownpoliticalreview.org/2014/12/financing-terrorism-saudi-arabia-and-its-foreign-affairs/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018060915/http://www.brownpoliticalreview.org/2014/12/financing-terrorism-saudi-arabia-and-its-foreign-affairs/ |archive-date=18 October 2015 |access-date=19 September 2015 |work=brownpoliticalreview.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Walsh |first1=Declan |date=2010-12-05 |title=WikiLeaks cables portray Saudi Arabia as a cash machine for terrorists |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/05/wikileaks-cables-saudi-terrorist-funding |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161215023137/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/05/wikileaks-cables-saudi-terrorist-funding |archive-date=2016-12-15 |access-date=2016-12-11 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> According to Iraq Prime Minister [[Nouri al-Maliki]] in March 2014, Saudi Arabia along with Qatar provided political, financial, and media support to terrorists against the Iraqi government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Maliki: Saudi and Qatar at war against Iraq|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/03/maliki-saudi-qatar-at-war-against-iraq-20143823436553921.html|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=14 September 2015|archive-date=1 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001142113/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/03/maliki-saudi-qatar-at-war-against-iraq-20143823436553921.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Similarly, President of Syria [[Bashar al-Assad]] noted in 2015 that the sources of the extreme ideology of the terrorist organization [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIS]] and other such [[Salafi jihadism|salafist extremist]] groups are the Wahabbism that has been supported by the royal family of Saudi Arabia.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiC4w7Erz8I "Syria conflict: BBC exclusive interview with President Bashar al-Assad" with Jeremy Bowen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200216150810/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiC4w7Erz8I |date=16 February 2020 }} (9 February 2015)</ref>

Relations with the U.S. became strained following [[September 11 attacks|9/11 terror attacks]].<ref>{{cite book |title=A History of Saudi Arabia |first=Madawi |last=Al-Rasheed |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-521-74754-7 |page=233|publisher=Cambridge University Press }}</ref> American politicians and media accused the Saudi government of supporting terrorism and tolerating a ''[[jihadist]]'' culture.<ref>{{cite book |title=Great powers and regional orders: the United States and the Persian Gulf |first=Markus |last=Kaim |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-7546-7197-8 |page=68|publisher=Ashgate Publishing }}</ref> According to former U.S. Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]] in December 2010, "Saudi Arabia remains a critical financial support base for al-Qaida, the [[Taliban]], [[LeT]] and other terrorist groups... Donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide."<ref name="Guardian_05122010">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/05/wikileaks-cables-saudi-terrorist-funding |first=Declan |last=Walsh |date=5 December 2010 |title=WikiLeaks cables portray Saudi Arabia as a cash machine for terrorists |newspaper=The Guardian |place=London |access-date=13 December 2016 |archive-date=15 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161215023137/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/05/wikileaks-cables-saudi-terrorist-funding |url-status=live }}</ref> The Saudi government denies these claims or that it exports religious or cultural extremism.<ref>[[#Malbouisson|Malbouisson]], p. 27</ref> In September 2016, the U.S. Congress passed the [[Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act]] that would allow relatives of victims of the 11 September attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for [[Alleged Saudi role in the September 11 attacks|its government's alleged role in the attacks]].<ref>"[https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/09/23/obama-veto-terrorism-lawsuit-bill-setting-up-override-battle/90407496/ Why Obama doesn't want 9/11 families suing Saudi Arabia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113073608/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/09/23/obama-veto-terrorism-lawsuit-bill-setting-up-override-battle/90407496/ |date=13 January 2019 }}". ''USA Today''. 23 September 2016.</ref> In 2014, [[Abdulaziz Al Sheikh|Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh]], the [[Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia]] and Chairman of the [[Council of Senior Scholars (Saudi Arabia)|Council of Senior Scholars]], issued a [[fatwa]] explicitly prohibiting joining or supporting terrorist organizations such as [[Islamic State|ISIS]] and [[al-Qaeda]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-09-17 |title="هيئة كبار العلماء" السعودية تحرم الالتحاق "بالقاعدة" وتنظيم "الدولة الإسلامية" |url=https://www.france24.com/ar/20140917-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%89-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B4 |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=فرانس 24 / France 24 |language=ar}}</ref> According to the [[United States Department of State|U.S. Department of State]], "Saudi Arabia plays an important role in working toward a peaceful and prosperous future for the region and is a strong partner in security and counterterrorism efforts and in military, diplomatic, and financial cooperation."<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Relations With Saudi Arabia |url=https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-saudi-arabia/ |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=United States Department of State |language=en}}</ref> A significant Saudi counterterrorism success was the foiling of a 2010 [[2010 transatlantic aircraft bomb plot|cargo plane bomb plot]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Borger |first1=Julian |last2=McGreal |first2=Chris |last3=Finn |first3=Tom |date=2010-11-01 |title=Cargo plane bomb plot: Saudi double agent 'gave crucial alert' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/01/cargo-plane-plot-saudi-agent-gave-alert |access-date=2024-08-10 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In December 2015, Saudi Arabia announced the formation of the [[Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition]], an alliance of Muslim-majority countries aimed at combating terrorism and extremism.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saudi Arabia forms Islamic anti-terror coalition – DW – 12/15/2015 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/saudi-arabia-says-it-will-head-muslim-counterterrorism-coalition/a-18917666 |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=Deutsche Welle |language=en}}</ref>

However, since 2016 the kingdom began backing away from Islamist ideologies.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Khalilzad|first=Zalmay|title='We Misled You': How the Saudis Are Coming Clean on Funding Terrorism|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/09/saudi-arabia-terrorism-funding-214241|access-date=2021-10-11|website=Politico Magazine|date=14 September 2016|language=en|archive-date=19 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019043523/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/09/saudi-arabia-terrorism-funding-214241/|url-status=live}}</ref> Several reforms took place including curbing the powers of [[Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Saudi Arabia)|religious police]],<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|date=2016-04-13|title=Saudi cabinet curbs powers of religious police|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-police-idUSKCN0XA24Y|access-date=2021-10-11|archive-date=11 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011053057/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-police-idUSKCN0XA24Y|url-status=live}}</ref> and stopping funding mosques in foreign countries.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-25|title=Saudi Arabia to stop funding mosques in foreign countries|url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200125-saudi-arabia-to-stop-funding-mosques-in-foreign-countries/|access-date=2021-10-11|website=[[Middle East Monitor]]|language=en-GB|archive-date=11 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011053057/https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200125-saudi-arabia-to-stop-funding-mosques-in-foreign-countries/|url-status=live}}</ref>