Foreign Donors to Clinton Charity Could Prompt Hillary Debate

The revelation that the Saudi Arabian government and Indian businessmen and politicians have donated millions of dollars to Bill Clinton's charitable foundation is likely to provoke allegations that his international fundraising could conflict with America's interests if his wife is confirmed as the next US secretary of state.

By far the biggest donor to the William J Clinton Foundation was Saudi Arabia, which gave a a total of $41m (£27m). Bill and Hillary's good relations with prominent Israeli politicians may defuse the political controversy aroused by Saudi backing, but Pakistani perceptions the US foreign policy establishment is biased towards India are likely to be fuelled by the publication yesterday of the donor list, under a deal agreed with Barack Obama's incoming administration as a precondition for Senator Clinton's nomination.

There was also potential domestic controversy over some of the foundation's backers. The private security company Blackwater - listed as having made a donation of up to $25,000 - is mired in controversy as five of its employees were indicted by a US grand jury for manslaughter and weapons charges following the deaths of 17 Iraqis in an incident last year in Baghdad. Blackwater Worldwide's contract to protect American diplomats is up for renewal by the state department next year.

The list does not provide exact donations, instead categorizing contributors according to a broad range of sums paid. A wealthy Indian politician, Amar Singh, was listed as giving between $1m and $5m. Singh hosted former president Clinton on a trip to India three years ago, and met Senator Clinton in September to discuss a bilateral agreement on civil nuclear cooperation. That deal has been heavily criticized by counter-proliferation activists as legitimizing India's development of nuclear weapons.

Hillary Clinton's nomination has majority support in the Senate foreign relations committee, but the committee's leading Republican, Richard Lugar, has said there were "legitimate questions" for her to answer about her husband's "cosmic ties" with many of the world's richest people.