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.

They were also reluctant to quantify the value of the contributions in a country known for smuggling and porous borders. But one analyst said the amounts could run into the millions of dollars.

In Lebanon, which is struggling with its worst political crisis since the 1975-90 civil war, donations to emerging Sunni militant groups have also raised concerns for sectarian conflict and the potential for a new hub of anti-Western extremism.

“Lebanon is on the verge of civil war,” said As’ad AbuKhalil, a Lebanon expert at California State University.

“The danger is, you have Lebanon very likely emerging as a place where (al Qaeda) supporters and copycats can find a haven.”

Hezbollah’s success against Israel last summer has bolstered the militant group at a time when its main Shi’ite benefactor, Iran, is experiencing a renaissance of influence in the Middle East.

Sunni Arabs from the Gulf, who have been funding Sunni causes in Lebanon since the 1980s, stepped up support after the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, a Sunni leader.

In the latest influx, contributions have gone to Sunni-run charities and institutions. But experts said significant sums have also been given to militant groups in northern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and Palestinian refugee camps.

The recipients included Usbat al-Ansar, which the State Department describes as a Palestinian terrorist group linked to Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda network, according to former intelligence officials and independent analysts.

Money has also gone to the Sunni group Fatah al-Islam, which was accused of bombing two buses in a Christian village near Beirut in February, they said.

Experts said loyalty to the Saudi and Al-Hariri family political agendas in Lebanon is expected in return. “The most important aim is to articulate a Sunni political agenda that is critical of the Iranian role in the region,” AbuKhalil said.