-" IVfCeting Notice Page 1 of2

Committee on International Relations

U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515-0128

Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia

lleana Ros-Lehtinen, Chair

March 22, 2004

***REVISED***

TO: MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

You are respectfully requested to attend the following OPEN hearing of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and
Central Asia, to be held in Room 2172 Rayburn House Office Building.

DATE: March 24, 2004

TIME: 1:30 p.m.

SUBJECT: Saudi Arabia and the Fight Against Terrorism Financing

WITNESSES: c^
I
Panel I

The Honorable J. Cofer Black

Coordinator
Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism
U.S. Department of State

Mr. Gary M. Bald

Assistant Director
Counterterrorism Unit
Federal Bureau of Investigation

Mr. Juan C. Zarate**

Deputy Assistant Secretary \AjLsJis(*-&—
Executive Office
Terrorist Financing and Financial Crime
U.S. Department of the Treasury

Panel II

Mr. Robert Baer

Former CIA Middle East Intelligence Officer

Mr. Steven Simon**

Senior Analyst
RAND Corporation

http://wwwa.house.gov/international_relations/108/meca032404.htm 3/30/2004
 1

Meeting Notice Page 2 of 2

**NOTE: This hearing was originally scheduled for March 17, 2004.

Note: Witnesses added

By Direction of the Chairman

The Committee on Internationa/ Relations seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with disabilities. If you are in need of special
accommodations, please call 202/225-5021 at least four business days in advance of the event, whenever practicable. Questions with regard to
special accommodations in general (including availability of Committee materials in alternative formats and assistive listening devices) may be directed
to the Committee.

http://wwwa.house.gov/international_relations/108/meca032404.htm 3/30/2004
FNS Transcript Page 1 of 52

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HEARING OF THE\ SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE MIDDLE EAST AND

CENTRAL ASIA OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS
• SUBJECT: SAUDI ARABIA AND THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM
FINANCING
• CHAIRED BY: REP. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN (R-FL)
• WITNESSES PANEL I: J. COFER BLACK, COORDINATOR, OFFICE OF
THE COORDINATOR FOR COUNTERTERRORISM, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
STATE; GARY M. BALD, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, COUNTERTERRORISM
UNIT, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION; JUAN C. ZARATE, DEPUTY
ASSISTANT SECRETARY, EXECUTIVE OFFICE, TERRORIST FINANCING
AND FINANCIAL CRIME, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY;. PANEL
II: ROBERT BAER, FORMER CIA MIDDLE EAST INTELLIGENCE OFFICER;
STEVEN SIMON, SENIOR ANALYST, RAND CORPORATION
2172 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D.C.
1:30 P.M., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2004

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REP.ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN (R-FL): Thank you. The subcommittee will

come to order. Since the horrific events of September 11 we have been
confronted with the undeniable fact that 15 of the 19 terrorists who
caused this act of mass murder were from Saudi Arabia. Because of
this it is our duty to examine what the Saudi's have done, are doing
now and what they will do in the future to prevent this kind of
tragedy from ever repeating. We want to gain an understanding of how
Saudi Arabia is working to repair a system that many say was broken
or at the very least had grown out of control.

Moreover, we want to understand what our own government is doing

to help the Saudis close down the network that facilitated the
implementation of the September 11 terrorist plot. I must say,
however, there are grave concerns on this subcommittee and I would
say in Congress in general over the extent of Saudi cooperation in
this fight, and specifically the Saudi role in the financing and
abetting of terrorist groups in general.

Having said this, I am pleased the United States and the Saudi
government have set up two task forces: one to counter terrorism and
the other to counter terrorism financing. I am also pleased that the
Saudi government is closing down charities and controlling the
collection of zakah or charitable donations that is so important in
Islam. Yet I am concerned that there is some red lines beyond which

http://www.fednews.com/printtranscript.htm?id=20040324t3494 3/30/2004