The United States suspected a Saudi Arabian ambassador to the Philippines of potential involvement in funding terrorists,according to US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks this week. A security aide of then-US president George W Bush raised concerns over Muhammad Amin Waly in a private meeting with Prince Saud al-Faisal,the Saudi foreign minister,in Jeddah in 2007,the secret cable showed. "In a following private meeting. (Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Terrorism) Townsend raised US concerns with the potential involvement of the Saudi ambassador. in terrorism facilitation," it said. Francis Townsend cited Waly's intervention to secure the release of two members of an Islamic charity detained in the Philippines,the cable showed. The group was suspected of funnelling funds to Al-Qaeda-linked groups based in the southern Philippines. "Prince Saud said some of his actions may have involved bad judgement rather than intentional support for terrorism," said the missive from the US embassy in Riyadh. "Waly had been investigated,he said,and no evidence was found regarding his involvement." The prince also told the Bush aide that Waly's Manila assignment was ending in a few months and sought US government evidence of his alleged terror links,the cable said. Townsend pledged cooperation with the Saudi authorities in providing evidence,the cable added. Waly was replaced by Abdullah Al Hassan as Saudi envoy to Manila in January this year.
