( CNN ) -- `` Terrorist funding emanating from Saudi Arabia remains a serious concern . '' So states a cable prepared for the visit of U.S. Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke to the kingdom earlier this year . It is one of several that have appeared on the WikiLeaks site to indicate that despite some progress , the flow of cash to extremist groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan from individuals and charities in the Gulf has certainly not been halted . The cable , written by U.S . Ambassador James B Smith , says that the Saudis are `` cooperating more actively than at any previous point to respond to terrorist financing concerns raised by the United States , and to investigate and detain financial facilitators of concern . '' It says the Saudi Ministry of Interior had begun to detain individuals involved in funding networks for groups such as Lashkar e-Tayyiba ( LeT ) , an extremist Pakistani group that carried out the Mumbai attacks in 2008 , the Taliban , and Hamas . But it says donors in Saudi Arabia `` continue to constitute a source of funding to Sunni extremist groups worldwide , especially during the Hajj and Ramadan . '' And it adds the kingdom remains `` almost completely dependent on the CIA to provide analytic support and direction for its counterterrorism operations . '' The U.S. Treasury has led efforts to block sources of terrorist funding , establishing the `` Illicit Finance Task Force '' and sending specialists to Kabul , Afghanistan , and elsewhere to help follow the money . It also established an office in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia , in 2008 . Treasury sources said earlier this year that other Gulf states had been less co-operative than the Saudis ; and other cables obtained by WikiLeaks describe hundreds of millions of dollars in cash being flown from Kabul to various destinations in the region . The Saudi authorities have made some high-profile arrests in the last two years . Ambassador Smith 's cable says the Ministry of the Interior timed its announcement in August 2009 regarding the arrest of 44 terrorist supporters `` to deter potential donors from giving money to suspected terrorist groups during Ramadan . '' However , one leaked cable sent by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in December 2009 noted that `` it has been an ongoing challenge to persuade Saudi officials to treat terrorist financing emanating from Saudi Arabia as a strategic priority . '' It adds : `` Donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide '' -- running into millions of dollars . `` Riyadh has taken only limited action to disrupt fundraising for the UN 1267-listed Taliban and LeT-groups that are also aligned with al-Qaeda , '' the cable from Clinton says . It also expresses concern that the Taliban might use the cover of reconciliation talks to raise funds . U.N. Security Council resolution 1267 lists groups and individuals accused of involvement with al Qaeda , the Taliban and other extremist groups . It is not only Saudi sources of cash for terrorists that have caused concern . The cable sent by Secretary Clinton notes that while Kuwait has clamped down on domestic terror suspects it `` has been less inclined to take action against Kuwait-based financiers and facilitators plotting attacks outside of Kuwait . '' In particular , the cable says that while the United States had designated the Kuwait-based Revival of Islamic Heritage Society for providing support to al Qaeda and associated groups , the government of Kuwait `` has not taken significant action to address or shut down RIHS headquarters or its branches . '' Tareq al Essa , the society 's chairman , has denied allegations that RIHS has links with terrorist groups . The leaked cables also express concern that weak regulatory oversight in the United Arab Emirates ( a growing financial hub ) `` makes it vulnerable to abuse by terrorist financiers and facilitation networks . '' As for Qatar , the cable from Clinton says it has `` adopted a largely passive approach to cooperating with the U.S. against terrorist financing . Qatar 's overall level of CT [ counter-terrorism ] cooperation with the U.S. is considered the worst in the region . '' The cable asserts that although Qatar 's security services have the capability to deal with direct threats and occasionally have put that capability to use , `` they have been hesitant to act against known terrorists out of concern for appearing to be aligned with the U.S. and provoking reprisals . '' A long section on terrorist financing in Pakistan repeats the frequent charge that `` some officials from the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate ( ISI ) continue to maintain ties with a wide array of extremist organizations , in particular the Taliban , LeT and other extremist organizations . '' It says a `` network of social service institutions readily provides extremist organizations with recruits , funding and infrastructure for planning new attacks . '' Among the groups identified are `` UN-proscribed NGOs al Rashid Trust and al Akhtar Trust , and all successor organizations that continue to funnel money and provide other forms of support to the Taliban and LeT . ''
The cables published by WikiLeaks discuss terrorism funding in the Gulf states . ` ` Terrorist funding emanating from Saudi Arabia remains a serious concern '' The Saudi government is cooperating with the United States more than ever before . But donors in Saudi Arabia ` ` enough to constitute a source of funding '' to Sunni extremists .