Saudis critical of Hillary Clinton's terror funding allegation

WASHINGTON, June 17 (UPI) -- Saudi Arabia's foreign minister criticized presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's remarks in a campaign speech that the Saudi government does not do enough to prevent terrorist funding by its citizens.

Clinton made the remark in the wider context of combating terrorism in the wake of the Orlando gay nightclub massacre, which was carried out by an American Muslim who had traveled to Saudi Arabia twice.

"For starters, it is long past time for the Saudis, the Qataris and the Kuwaitis and others to stop their citizens from funding extremist organizations," Clinton said. "And they should stop supporting radical schools and mosques around the world that have set too many young people on a path towards extremism."

The shooter, Omar Mateen, is not believed to have had any direct support for his actions from the Islamic State, nor any ties to the Saudi government, though he told police before he was killed that he was acting in support of ISIS.

Clinton also singled out Kuwait and Qatar, two other U.S. allies in the region where wealthy private citizens are suspected of offering financial backing to extremist groups.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said he respects Clinton, his former counterpart as secretary of state, but defended his country's prosecution of known terrorist sympathizers.

"The charges leveled at Saudi Arabia are not correct," he said, according to Bloomberg News.

Other diplomats from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait also registered their displeasure with Clinton's remarks, including formal letters sent to an Australian newspaper from the respective countries' embassies there.

Clinton's comments came just ahead of a below-the-radar visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who is the Saudi king's son and the kingdom's defense minister.

Bin Salman met with President Barack Obama, cabinet officials and a bipartisan group of congressional leaders this week. Clinton's comments were brought up in the meeting with Obama, but were not a major part of the discussion, a White House spokesman said.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner was also asked about Clinton's remarks on the Orlando shooting and Saudi citizens' terror ties and their repressive stance on gay rights. Kirby noted the Saudi criminalization of homosexuality and said Secretary of State John Kerry had raised the issue of LGBT rights as a separate issue from terrorist funding with Bin Salman during their private meeting.