Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Islam Cleric Held in Kuwait for Funding Radicals; Prominent Sunni Cleric Was on a US Sanctions List

Kuwait detained a prominent Sunni Muslim cleric at the Gulf state's airport today (August 20, 2014) after the United States included him on a sanctions list on suspicion that he is funneling money to militants in Iraq and Syria, the Reuters website reports.

Hajjaj al-Ajmi was detained at the airport on his arrival from Qatar, whose leadership supports Islamist groups such as Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and gives refuge to prominent figures from Hamas and the Taliban, but does not back the militant Islamists operating in Iraq and Syria.

Kiwait has been one of the biggest humanitarian donors to Syrian refugees through the United Nations, but it has also struggled to control unofficial fund-raising for opposition groups in Syria by private individuals.

The Kuwaiti government -- an ally of the United States -- has stepped up its monitoring of individuals and charities suspected of collecting donations for militants linked to al Qaeda in Syria and in Iraq.

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