WASHINGTON, 28 November 2002 — Princess Haifa Al-Faisal said she was outraged that her donation to a needy woman was linked to the Sept. 11 terrorists
In an interview published yesterday in The New York Times, Princess Haifa, the wife of Saudi Ambassador to the United States Prince Bandar ibn Sultan, said: "The least I can say is that I am outraged when people think I can be connected to terrorists when all I wanted to do was to give some help to someone in need."
The royal couple spoke with The New York Times Monday, in their first interview since Newsweek magazine reported that her charitable contributions may have indirectly funded Khaled Al-Midhar and Nawaf Al-Hazmi, two Saudis who helped hijack the plane that crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.
"My mother taught us never to judge anyone by what you hear without any proof, and it seems that people are judging us without any proof," said the youngest daughter of the late King Faisal.
The princess said she felt as if a bomb had dropped on her head when reporters began to call her to ask her about her charitable contributions. She said she made her contributions in response to a letter from the Jordanian wife of a Saudi who needed surgery. Prince Bandar, she said, sent an initial $15,000 gift to cover the operation for the woman, a mother of six. She then followed up with gifts of $2,000 a month for four years ending in May.
She said the contribution was one of many she made every year to needy Saudis. "Our religion tells us to donate to the needy," Princess Haifa said, "and it is the kind of thing you don’t announce. You just help, and it counts for you."
Prince Bandar, on his part, said he was less upset by the reports: "I have been in Washington for too long, and this is part of the game of politics."
Prince Bandar pointed out that the two terrorists in question were on US and Saudi "watch lists" during 2000 and 2001, adding that it would have been illogical and implausible for him and his wife to knowingly have provided them with funds through circuitous routes.
Secretary of State Colin Powell defended the ambassador and his wife. Powell, who offered similar words Monday in support of the couple, warned against a "rush to judgment" in the matter and reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s status as a US ally in the war on terrorism.
"I’ve known Prince Bandar and Her Royal Highness for close to 23 years," Powell told reporters after meeting with Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou at the State Department. "They are old friends of mine," he said. "I think it’s most unlikely that either Prince Bandar or Princess Haifa would knowingly provide money for individuals or organizations that are conducting terrorist activities."
He said the United States is stepping up pressure on the Kingdom to block contributions to charitable organizations that wind up in the pockets of terrorists.
"Those funds could get misused and where we have this information we make it available to the Saudis," Powell said.
