A senior US official in charge of combatting terrorist financing praised Saudi Arabia for its progress in blocking the flow of funds to groups such as al-Qaeda and said he wished other countries in the Persian Gulf would meet the same standard.

"We have a very willing and capable partner in Saudi Arabia," Daniel Glaser, the assistant secretary for terrorist financing in the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, told an audience at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on Oct. 13. "Our goal is to see a similar evolution in Qatar and Kuwait," which he said had made some progress but not to the same extent as the Saudi government over the past decade.

Glaser's praise for Saudi Arabia as the "No. 1" US partner in the region combatting terrorist financing comes at a time of severe strain between the United States and the kingdom over other issues, including the Saudi bombing of civilians at a funeral in Yemen and new US legislation that permits the relatives of those who died on Sept. 11, 2001, to sue Saudi Arabia in US courts. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill, but was overridden by the US Congress, which may revisit the issue after US presidential elections in November. The Obama administration has also said it is reviewing its support for the Saudi bombing campaign in Yemen.

Bruce Riedel, a longtime expert on Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf and a columnist for Al-Monitor, said Glaser was correct in his assessment of Saudi efforts to stop money from going to al-Qaeda affiliates. Riedel noted that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef had been the target of at least four assassination attempts, including a 2009 suicide attack by a young Saudi militant who claimed to have repented. Nayef survived but reportedly still suffers pain from wounds incurred, Riedel said.