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The Indian men's football team was on the brink of securing a spot in the next round of <keyword id="20322326" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FIFA-World-Cup-qualifiers" source="keywords">FIFA World Cup qualifiers</keyword> from Group A—until a fateful turn in the 73rd minute of Tuesday’s game. Lallianzuala Chhangte had placed India in the lead with a goal in the 37th minute, setting them on course for a rare away victory over Qatar. But then, the tide turned dramatically.<br /><br />What should have been a routine Qatari free-kick turned controversial as the ball, which had rolled out of play, was brought back by Alhashmi Mohialdin, allowing Youssef Aymen to tap it into the net. The goal, clearly illegal, sparked immediate protests from the Indian side.<br /><br />Despite the uproar, the linesmen and referees on the field failed to catch the infraction. And with no Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in place, the decision could not be reversed and the goal stood.<br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="FanCode" handlename="FanCode" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1800595521628999862"></div><br />The contentious goal was followed by Ahmed Al-Rawi's stunning curler in the 85th minute, sealing the match in Qatar's favour.<br /><br />As a result of this defeat and Kuwait's concurrent victory over Afghanistan, Qatar and Kuwait advanced to the next round, leaving India third in the group, narrowly ahead of Afghanistan on goal difference.<br /><br /><keyword id="20684835" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-fans" source="keywords">Indian fans</keyword> expressed their outrage on social media, decrying the lack of sportsmanship from the Qatari side and criticising the officiating. The hashtag #Shame trended on X (formerly Twitter), capturing the fans' frustration over the missed call and its consequences.<br /><br />This loss not only crushed India’s hopes for the World Cup, but also their chance for a direct entry into the AFC Asian Cup 2027 in Saudi Arabia. Now, the Blue Tigers must navigate through the third round of <keyword id="21032549" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Asian-Cup-qualifiers" source="keywords">Asian Cup qualifiers</keyword> to secure a place in the tournament.<br />

FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Qatar's illegal goal crushes India's World Cup dreams

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Mark Wilson/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Donald Trump.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy has emerged as an influential figure in President Donald Trump's Washington, and has often used shady deals to boost his own businesses while offering clients access to the president.</strong></li><li><strong>Broidy cooperated with businessman and United Arab Emirates adviser George Nader to shift US policy in favor the UAE's agenda - and one point even suggested to Trump that he fire Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Tillerson was removed earlier this month.</strong></li><li><strong>Broidy has sued Qatar for what he claims has been a smear campaign against him.</strong></li></ul><p>If foreign actors with checkered pasts wanted something done in Washington or the White House, they likely turned to Republican financier Elliott Broidy.</p><p>As one of President Donald Trump's earliest campaign financiers and subsequently the vice chairman of his Presidential Inaugural Committee, Broidy, who has served as a <a href="https://americanmediainstitute.com/investigations/republican-party-adds-experienced-fundraisers-ahead-2018-elections/">national deputy finance chairman</a> of the Republican National Committee since April 2017, has had incredible access to the president - and has reportedly taken full advantage of it to reap profits and advance the agendas of foreign actors.</p><p>New reports from The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/21/us/politics/george-nader-elliott-broidy-uae-saudi-arabia-white-house-influence.html">New York Times</a> and the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/a-top-trump-fundraiser-took-25-million-from-dubai-before-pushing-an-anti-qatar-agenda-in-congress-2018-3">Associated Press</a> show that Broidy was in extensive contact with George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman who served as an adviser to the leadership of the United Arab Emirates, throughout 2017 as Nader and the Emirates sought to shift US policy to reflect the wishes of the oil-rich gulf state. Nader has also been a cooperating witness in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation since January.</p><p>Broidy apparently was a willing partner in this effort and took part in a wide-ranging campaign to lobby both members of Congress and Trump himself to take pro-UAE positions, making business deals in the Middle Eastern country in the process.</p><p>But his involvement with the UAE is only the tip of the iceberg - Broidy has dangled access to Trump in front of various prospective business clients in order to boost his businesses after the election, and has negotiated deals with foreign governments in which he would receive millions of dollars in exchange for using his connections to advance their goals.</p><h2>Broidy has a history of shady business deals</h2><p>Broidy reportedly first became interested in political involvement after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and <a href="https://blogs.wsj.com/privateequity/2009/12/03/just-who-is-elliott-broidy-anyway/">joined a pro-Israel lobbying group</a> as a result. Amid almost two decades of political involvement and fundraising for the Bush administration, he served on the Homeland Security Council from 2005 to 2009, and<span> i</span>n 2013, he was also bizarrely the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5748021/">executive producer</a> of two independent films - "Sugar" and "Snake and Mongoose."</p><p>After jumping aboard Trump's campaign and later becoming involved with the RNC, Broidy started to leverage his relationship with the president to bolster his own business interests. Broidy owns a private security company called Circinus that has hundreds of millions of dollars in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/03/us/politics/george-nader-mueller-investigation-united-arab-emirates.html?smid=pl-share">contracts in the UAE,</a> according to the New York Times, and in the year since Trump's inauguration has marketed his connections to Trump to Circinus's potential clients.</p><p>Among <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/25/us/politics/elliott-broidy-trump-access-circinus-lobbying.html">the perks</a> he has offered were a spot at a candlelit dinner with the president for Congolese strongman, an invitation to a party at one of Trump's hotels for Romanian politicians charged with corruption, and an exclusive meeting with Republican lawmakers at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for Angolan politicians.</p><p>On top of these questionable overtures, Broidy has also reportedly been in negotiations with a businessman at the center of a Malaysian corruption scandal who at one point offered him $75 million if a Justice Department investigation into the scandal was dropped, The <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-ally-was-in-talks-to-earn-millions-in-effort-to-end-1mdb-probe-in-u-s-1519919321">Wall Street Journal</a> reported. He also offered to help a Russian lawyer get a Russian company off US sanctions lists last year, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-23/trump-fundraiser-offered-to-help-lift-sanctions-on-russian-firms">according to Bloomberg</a>.</p><p>These sorts of deals have landed Broidy in hot water before - in 2009, he <a href="https://blogs.wsj.com/privateequity/2009/12/03/just-who-is-elliott-broidy-anyway/">entered into a plea deal</a> for giving almost a million dollars in bribes to New York state pension authorities in exchange for their investment in his fund, the Markstone Capital Group.</p><h2>Broidy's involvement with the UAE</h2><p>Broidy has long shared the UAE's animosity toward Qatar, and has backed this policy position up with contracts for Circinus in the country. But he first became involved in their efforts in Washington after meeting Nader.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Trump-Russia-Probe/01518358b7d543b1b1e56fe2f70093d2/21/0">C-SPAN via AP</a></span></p><p class="caption">George Nader</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>It was shortly after Nader met with Blackwater founder and Trump associate Erik Prince and a Russian banker in the Seychelles in early 2017 that Broidy began to actively work with him to cultivate Trump and to sway his administration to support Emirati objectives.</p><p>According to the Associated Press, Nader wired Broidy $2.5 million through a Canadian bank in order to finance a lobbying effort to turn US politicians against Qatar. Broidy then used $600,000 of this money to contribute to GOP politicians in Congress, and Broidy sponsored a conference on Qatar's alleged state sponsorship of terrorism a month afterward. He later gave a sympathetic congressman who introduced a bill advancing Broidy's agenda thousands of dollars in campaign gifts.</p><p><span>Broidy and Nader also lobbied Trump personally, and Trump eventually joined the UAE in condemning Qatar in the diplomatic row that took place last year. The UAE, together with a few other Arab nations, cut diplomatic ties with Qatar over the terrorism issue, and despite objections from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Trump sided with the UAE. </span></p><p>Broidy also pushed pro-UAE policies during a meeting he had with Trump in late 2017, during which he encouraged Trump to meet one-on-one with crown prince of the UAE <span>Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.</span></p><p>But throughout these questionable moves, Broidy has maintained that he has done nothing improper.</p><p><span>"Recent reports regarding my involvement with activity that is subject to investigative and law enforcement scrutiny are absolutely false..." Broidy <a href="https://twitter.com/Elliott_Broidy/status/973232207052460032">tweeted</a>. "Nor did I inappropriately influence the Trump administration regarding the Administration's foreign policy."</span></p><p>Broidy maintains that the information that had been provided to The Times, the Associated Press, and The Wall Street Journal was illegally hacked by Qatari operatives, and on Monday, he <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-fundraiser-elliott-broidy-sues-qatar-alleging-cyber-smear-campaign/2018/03/26/29f1a962-3118-11e8-8bdd-cdb33a5eef83_story.html?utm_term=.96fba1c05796">sued the government of Qatar</a>, alleging a targeted smear campaign.<span></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-browser-magnitsky-act-how-sanctions-on-russia-hurt-putins-most-closest-allies-2018-3">BILL BROWDER: How sanctions on Russia hurt Putin's closest allies</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

How a little-known Republican fundraiser allegedly profited off Trump's presidency and worked to convince him to change US foreign policy in the Middle East

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Mike Theiler-Pool/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Donald Trump.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>One of the wildest lobbying battles in Washington, DC involving America's preeminent airlines nearly caused an international crisis.</strong></li><li><strong>It's centered on Delta, American, and United Airlines's effort to get the government to take action against Middle Eastern airlines it says are unfairly subsidized and hurting their business.</strong></li><li><strong>The group representing the three US carriers has seen its funding shrinking, tax filings show, and the effort has gained little traction. </strong></li><li><strong>The opposition includes those foreign airlines, smaller US airlines, and cargo carriers who say changes to what are known as "open skies" agreements will adversely affect them. </strong></li></ul><p><br />It's not often that you see a pair of conservative publications offering dueling reports attacking lobbyists on each side of an issue.</p><p>But there isn't much that fits cleanly into a partisan box when it comes to one of Washington, DC's most grueling lobbying battles.</p><p>First, <a href="http://freebeacon.com/issues/anti-trump-consultants-try-using-trumps-tough-trade-talk-open-skies-fight/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Free Beacon reported </a>on the anti-Trump sentiments of a number of big-name Democratic lobbyists working on behalf of The Partnership for Open and Fair Skies. That's a coalition of major airlines that are pushing the Trump administration to come down on Middle Eastern airlines - Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways - which, it says, are unfairly competing.</p><p>Days later, <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/01/18/sources-nevertrumpers-pushing-trump-administration-to-ignore-open-skies-trade-violations-by-foreign-nations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Breitbart News</a> published a story taking aim at the partnership's opponents, US Airlines for Open Skies, calling them out for employing "Never Trump" Republicans to pitch the White House. This group includes JetBlue, Hawaiian Airlines, and FedEx, among others.</p><p>That's just the latest episode in one of the wildest, most ruthless battles going on behind the scenes in the nation's capital.</p><p>And this battle really has it all: The nation's largest airlines fighting against both each other and a growing international threat, former Obama aides pitching the Trump administration, and backroom maneuvers that nearly triggered an international crisis last month.</p><h2>The nastiest feud in the airline industry</h2><p>The Partnership for Open and Fair Skies is a non-profit backed by Delta, American, and United, plus some airline unions. Its aim is to get the government to reopen talks on "open skies" agreements that allow airlines to operate across borders from places other than their home country. The US has signed such agreements with many other countries.</p><p>They accuse the United Arab Emirates and Qatar of providing more than $50 billion worth of unfair subsidies to their airlines, which in turn allows them to squeeze out their American competitors. The airlines, concerned about their market share on trans-Atlantic flights, say that if the Trump administration doesn't step up and begin taking a more protectionist stance, then they will inevitably have to cut jobs.</p><p>But their opponents, which include the Middle Eastern airlines as well as some smaller American airlines and cargo carriers, say the job losses that will occur if the administration were to fulfill the partnership's goals would be much more substantial. Countries could quickly retaliate against the US, which could prove especially detrimental to shippers like FedEx and UPS.</p><p>These opponents on the side of the foreign airliners say that Delta is at the forefront of the partnership, which they said declared "war on us from minute one" and "the gloves came off instantly" with "punches below the belt from the bell."</p><p>"So we were like, 'f--- this, we're getting in the ring," a lobbyist working for opposing interests told Business Insider. "It's been three years, they didn't get what they wanted out of Obama, and they haven't gotten what they've wanted out of Trump."</p><p>The lobbyist added that the push to punish the Middle Eastern carriers is Delta's "obsession" and that American and United "came along for the ride."</p><p>Delta spokesperson Elizabeth Wolff said the airline "continues to work with" United and American through the partnership.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne</span></p><p class="caption">Ed Bastian.</p></div><p></p></div></div><span style="color: #222222;"></span></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/delta-ceo-emirates-etihad-qatar-airways-rivalry-complex-2018-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">During a recent interview with Business Insider</a>, Delta CEO Ed Bastian pointed to the more than 300 members of Congress who have expressed support for the partnership's goal, noting that both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have given their backing.</p><p>"I can tell you everyone we've talked to in Washington is concerned," he said, adding, "To get 300 members of Congress to agree to anything tells you the importance of this matter to our people. I think a resolution will come at some point."</p><h2>Dwindling funds</h2><p>But the partnership's most recent filing with the Internal Revenue Service showed its financial backing is dwindling.</p><p>In its 2015 filing, the partnership listed more than $6.18 million in contributions. But in its 2016 report, which was provided to Business Insider, those contributions dipped by more than half, totaling just more than $2.9 million. It's a sign that some of the coalition's members may be becoming wary.</p><p>American Airlines spokeswoman Shannon Gilson told Business Insider in a statement that the airline agrees "wholeheartedly with our competitors at Delta and United" on the issue, adding that the "partnership couldn't be stronger." United did not provide comment for this story.</p><p>A source close to the partnership said the 2016 filing is the most recent, but it is out of date and covered a time when President Barack Obama was in office. They added that Delta, American, and United split the costs of the partnership equally.</p><p>The partnership's opponents have zeroed in on is its use of top Democratic aides - many of whom are publicly critical of President Donald Trump - to pitch the administration.</p><h2>'These folks are on CNN during the daytime as pundits, as Democrats, and then are basically saying that the president is their hero'</h2><p>That most recent filing showed that the coalition spent more than $2.83 million - roughly 98% of its expenditures that year - on a trio of Democratic-connected lobbying firms: SKD Knickerbocker, The Messina Group, and Beacon Global Strategies. Those firms feature some of the most-connected Obama and Hillary Clinton flacks, such as Obama's former campaign manager Jim Messina, top Clinton aide Phillippe Reines, and Obama White House aides Anita Dunn and Bill Burton.</p><p>"Delta's obsession with open skies ... manifests itself in hiring resistance Democrats to lobby Trump," Jonathan Grella, executive vice president of public affairs for the US Travel Association, told Business Insider. "You kind of can't have it both ways. These folks are on CNN during the daytime as pundits, as Democrats, and then are basically saying that the president is their hero."</p><p>Dunn and Rosen did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.</p><p>The partnership has contracted with a few Republicans, and even seemed to supersede spokeswoman Jill Zuckman, a former Obama Department of <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="transportation">Transportation</keyword> aide, with Scott Reed, a Republican lobbyist, as the group's top spokesperson. The partnership spent roughly $280,000 hiring Reed's firm, Chesapeake Enterprises, in 2017, and also works with Republican communications firm CRC Public Relations.</p><p>"The notion that this is being driven by anti-Trump and Democrat consultants is simply not true and the effort to focus on that shows how the supporters of these foreign carriers play fast and loose with the facts," a source close to the partnership told Business Insider.</p><p>Both Reed and CRC have become more public-facing in recent weeks. The group also says it is no longer working with The Messina Group.</p><p>Zuckman declined to comment for the story. In a statement to Business Insider, Reed repeated the partnerships argument about how the Middle Eastern airlines are violating the open skies agreement and putting American jobs at risk.</p><p>But the idea that a team of "resistance" lobbyists was working on this issue already worked to kill one of Delta's biggest efforts to combat the foreign airlines.</p><h2>A last-minute tax bill provision that set off international concerns</h2><p>As the Republican tax overhaul was nearing passage late last year, Delta sought to include a provision that would demonstrably affect the Middle Eastern airlines. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/15/us/politics/lobbyists-tax-overhaul-congress.html?_r=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As The New York Times reported</a>, the two-page amendment, submitted by Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia, was narrowly written so it would assess corporate taxes on airlines like Etihad, Emirates, and Qatar Airways, generating an estimated $200 million over the next 10 years.</p><p>As sources told Business Insider, that provision nearly launched an international crisis, with the other countries taking issue with the amendment and possibly retaliating. The State Department had to jump in, the sources said. (When asked about this by Business Insider, the State Department did not answer.) <br /><br /><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Congress-Taxes/1594df8244424722891e2a4005afadc4/2/0">J. Scott Applewhite/AP</a></span></p><p class="caption">Johnny Isakson.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Additionally, as a congressional source told Business Insider, the provision lead to a domestic kerfuffle as well. Atlanta-based Delta pitched Isakson, a home-state senator on the amendment. But what they did not prepare him for was that UPS, also headquartered in Georgia, would be up in arms over the provision.</p><p>"Delta lobbyists didn't tell the Isakson folks that UPS, which is on the other side of town, would be against it," the source said, adding that they saw an "opportunity to get Isakson, who has had some health challenges, to introduce this provision."</p><p>A partnership source distanced the group from the tax provision, saying that it "doesn't have anything to do with enforcing our open skies agreements and is separate from the work of the partnership."</p><p>Meanwhile, American Airlines gave a muted response in late November about whether it supported the Isakson amendment.</p><p>"We agree wholeheartedly with our competitors at Delta and United that the Gulf carriers are being illegally subsidized," <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2017/11/29/gops-tax-revamp-new-front-trade-fight-us-airlines-gulf-carriers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gilson said</a>. "That said, tax reform is a separate, complex issue that also needs to be solved, and we view it as such."</p><p>The amendment was removed by the Senate parliamentarian for "technical reasons," The Times wrote.</p><p>Isakson's office did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.</p><h2>'One of the ugliest battles I've been a part of'</h2><p>One of the biggest developments in this battle happened within the last few days: Qatar Airways committed to being more financially transparent in addition to agreeing not to run indirect flights into the US through other countries, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-28/qatar-agrees-to-transparency-to-resolve-u-s-airline-dispute" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bloomberg reported</a>.</p><p>Delta quickly hailed the move as a victory for its cause.</p><p>"This would be a landmark milestone for the American airline industry that will protect our workers and ensure that our foreign competitors play by the rules and do not undermine our international agreements," Peter Carter, chief legal officer of Delta, told Bloomberg. "We all support the administration as it holds their feet to the fire to ensure they live up to their commitments."</p><p>But their opposition says they are overblowing the significance of the development as it relates to their cause. A connected source told Buisness Insider that Delta "struck out" with the Trump administration on Qatar, adding they they did not get what they were ultimately seeking. The announcement by Qatar "respects both [sides] wishes," they said.</p><p>Both sides additionally claimed victory last month when the Trump administration announced it would continue informal talks about the Middle Eastern airline subsidies while maintaining the open skies deals.</p><p>A State Department spokesperson told Business Insider that "consistent with the administration's approach on international agreements, we are reviewing relationships on aviation issues to confirm they are being implemented fairly and in the best interests of our companies."</p><p>They added that the State Department is "leading an interagency effort to engage in serious negotiations with both Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to address concerns that US stakeholders have expressed in our industry consultations."</p><p>Department officials met with a delegation from Qatar to discuss the issue last month, and it is "engaging both Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to address concerns about subsidized competition and a lack of transparency while preserving the open skies framework," the spokesperson said.</p><p><a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/12/trump-mideast-airlines-delay-penalties-218797" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico reported last month</a> that the administration was holding off on any retaliatory measure for what the US airlines call unfair government subsidies, but it warned such action could come if it does not see "sufficient progress" on the issue.</p><p>Though the airlines view Trump as more favorable to the cause than Obama, Grella said the government is "no closer to convinced than they were three years ago."</p><p>"It's one of the ugliest battles I've been a part of," Grella said. "What is it going to take is for American and United to come to the realization that this isn't going anywhere, and it's better to cut your losses."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/georgetown-professor-reveals-people-wrong-mlk-martin-luther-king-jr-race-black-radical-racism-2017-5">A Georgetown professor explains how Martin Luther King Jr. 'has been severely whitewashed'</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

One of the most ruthless behind-the-scenes battles in Washington involves Obama aides pitching the Trump administration and almost caused an international crisis

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters/Stringer</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>The Islamic State for Iraq and the Levant is mostly funded through criminal activity, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/06/12/isis-just-stole-425-million-and-became-the-worlds-richest-terrorist-group/">such as the theft of a potential $425 million</a> from a central bank in Mosul. But the group is also receiving private donations from wealthy Sunnis in American-allied Gulf nations such as Kuwait, Qatar, and, possibly, Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>ISIS is now thought to be the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/06/12/isis-just-stole-425-million-and-became-the-worlds-richest-terrorist-group/">world's richest terrorist organization</a>, with an estimated <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/15/iraq-isis-arrest-jihadists-wealth-power">$2 billion</a> in funds.</p>
<p>This makes ISIS wealthier than several sovereign countries, including Nauru, Tonga, and the Marshall Islands.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">"They probably have some wealthy donors in those countries, but they are seizing hundreds of millions in Iraq, and they are taxing people for whatever they please, such as for being Christian," Matthew Levitt, Director of the Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy told Business Insider. "</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Most of their money is coming from criminal activity, there is a tremendous amount of criminal enterprise throughout the ISIS organization."</span></p>
<p><span>As <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/09/us-iraq-saudi-qatar-idUSBREA2806S20140309">far back as March</a>, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has accused Saudi Arabia and Qatar of openly funding ISIS as his troops were fighting them.</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p>"I accuse them of inciting and encouraging the terrorist movements. I accuse them of supporting them politically and in the media, of supporting them with money and by buying weapons for them," he told France 24 television.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">In Kuwait, donors have taken advantage of weak terror financing control laws to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to various Syrian rebel groups, including ISIS, according to a <a href="http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2013/12/06%20private%20gulf%20financing%20syria%20extremist%20rebels%20sectarian%20conflict%20dickinson/private%20gulf%20financing%20syria%20extremist%20rebels%20sectarian%20conflict%20dickinson.pdf">December 2013 report</a> by The Brookings Institution, which receives some funding from the government of Qatar.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>"Over the last two and a half years, Kuwait has emerged as a financing and organizational hub for charities and individuals supporting Syria's myriad rebel groups," the report said, adding that</span><span> m</span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">oney from donors in other gulf nations is collected in Kuwait before traveling through Turkey or Jordan to reach the insurgents.</span></p>
<p>"Everybody knows the money is going through Kuwait and that it's coming from the Arab Gulf," Andrew Tabler, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/14/america-s-allies-are-funding-isis.html">told The Daily Beast.</a> "Kuwait's banking system and its money changers have long been a huge problem because they are a major conduit for money to extremist groups in Syria and now Iraq."</p>
<p>Ironically, Kuwait is a staging area for individuals funneling money to an ISIS organization that is <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/14/america-s-allies-are-funding-isis.html">aligned with whatever is left of the Baathist regime once led by Saddam Hussein</a>. In 1990, the US went to war with Iraq over Hussein's invasion and occupation of Kuwait.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">U.S. officials <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/s?q=ISIS+funding&amp;vertical=&amp;author=&amp;contributed=1&amp;sort=date#ixzz35m9y1pLk">have stated</a> that they are "eye-to-eye" with Saudi Arabia on the importance of stopping these donations. The Saudi government views the organization as a threat to the kingdom's security, and made private donations to ISIS illegal when it designated them as a terrorist organization in March.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">When it comes to the U.S. reaction, Levitt said the American are working towards stopping the flow of cash, but that it's the local governments that will have the greater impact. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Levitt added that no one has the specifics on how much money ISIS and other terrorist organizations are getting from wealthy donors in American-allied gulf nations.</span></p>
<p><span>"Some don't see what is going on in Syria and Iraq as terrorism," he said. "They say 'just because you are an Islamist doesn't mean you're a terrorist.'" </span></p>
<p>If ISIS continues to stockpile cash - enough to maintain its status as the wealthiest terrorist organization in the world - it's possible that they would they would have the means to engage in international terrorism, something that the group and its supporters are <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-is-using-twitter-to-make-threats-to-us-2014-6">already threatening online</a>.<br /><span></span><span></span></p>
<p><span>"ISIS is more extreme than Al-Qaeda in many ways," Levitt said of possible future ISIS attacks outside Iraq and Syria. "If they accomplish their goals in Iraq and Syria, and are capable of doing so, I don't doubt that they would."</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>

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