U.S. Government Freezes Assets of Islamic Foundation
On Thursday, June 19, 2008, the Washington Post reported that the United States Treasury Department froze U.S. based assets of the Islamic Charity, Al Haramain Islamic Foundation. The charity is headquartered in Saudi Arabia. Between the years 2002 and 2004, thirteen branches of the charity were so designated but, with Thursday’s action, the charity in its entirety has been designated. See U.S. Treasury Press Release (announcing first designations of Somalia and Bosnia branches in March 2002).
In addition, the Treasury’s action means that Americans are prohibited from making donations to the charity or otherwise doing business with the charity. The Post further reported that the Government of Saudi Arabia was fully cooperating with the United States to clamp down on the activities of this charity, which is believed to be funneling money and other support to al-Qaida. Below is an excerpt of the story:
The Bush administration moved Thursday to clamp down on a Saudi-based charity accused of funneling money and other support to al-Qaida.
The Treasury Department’s action [see Treasury Department Press Release] covers “the entirety” of Al Haramain Islamic Foundation, including its headquarters in Saudi Arabia, the government said. The action means that any assets found in the United States belonging to the charity are frozen. Americans also are prohibited from providing donations or otherwise doing business with the charity.
The United States _ between 2002 and 2004 _ had previously taken action against 13 branches of the charity, including locations in the United States, Afghanistan and the Netherlands.
Saudi Arabia joined the United States in putting some of the charity’s branches on an asset-blocking list. And actions by Saudi authorities have largely precluded the charity from operating under its own name, the department said. However, “despite these efforts, (Al Haramain) leadership has attempted to reconstitute the operations of the organization and parts of the organization have continued to operate,” Treasury said.
For the full story, please click here.
In May 2004 (followed by the UN in June 2004), Al Haramain was designated as a charity providing financial and material support to al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations under Executive Order 13224. For a complete list of designated organizations, click here. The executive order was instituted within days of 9/11. The Treasury also provides that Al Haramain “represents itself as a private, charitable, and educational organization dedicated to promoting Islamic teaching throughout the world. It is one of the principal Islamic non-governmental organizations active throughout the world.” The Foundation received “grants from other countries, individual Muslim benefactors, and special campaigns, which selectively target Muslim-owned business entities around the world as sources of donations.” The initial crackdown on this charity came as a result of “evidence that [Al Haramain] field offices and representatives operating throughout Africa, Asia and Europe . . . provided financial and logistical support to the al Qaida network and other terrorist organizations designated by the United States, and, in some cases, included on the UN 1267 Committee’s consolidated list of individuals/entities subject to Security Council Sanctions. Some of these organizations include the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ), Jemaah Islamiyah, Al-Ittihad Al-Islamiya (AIAI), Lashkar E-Taibah, and HAMAS – all of which are designated terrorist organizations and all of which have received funds from AHF, its branches, or local intermediaries.”
The head of the Foundation is reported to have direct ties to Osama Bin Laden.
AMT