Gulf Arabs boost aid to Sunni militants in Lebanon
David Morgan

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) – Oil-rich Saudis and other wealthy Arabs have increased private contributions to Sunni militants in Lebanon that could fuel new violence in a growing regional struggle between Sunnis and Shi’ites, experts say.

The latest flow of money began in December in an attempt to create a counterweight to the Shi’ite militant group Hezbollah, according to former U.S. intelligence officials and independent analysts who view it as part of a Saudi effort to bolster Sunni Islam in the face of growing Shi’ite activism across the Middle East and in Africa.

“There is Saudi money coming in to Sunni extremist groups with the specific intention of confronting the Shi’ites and Hezbollah in Lebanon,” said a former senior intelligence official who closely monitors the Middle East.

The former officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, cited Saudi and Syrian officials but declined to be more specific on the source of their information.

Reuters runs this report. It’d be better if some of the sources of information—and funding—were better identified. As is, this story strikes me as mostly rumor based on logic rather than anything actually substantive. Your mileage may vary.