US: Al-Qaeda Faces Severe Financial Strain Due To Sanctions
(RTTNews) - The United States says that its designation of key members of al-Qaeda targeting a core al-Qaeda financial channel has drained the terror outfit's financial streams, and that it is "in a much worse financial position today than" it was a decade ago.
This was stated at a special briefing by Assistant Director for Threat Investigations & Analysis Robert A. Hartu and Assistant Director of the Terrorism & Financial Intelligence Office Eytan Fisch to offer a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the location of Iran-based senior al-Qaeda facilitator and financier Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil, better known as Yasin al-Suri.
They said the designation of Suri and five other members of his al-Qaeda network on July 28 this year not only targeted a core al-Qaeda financial channel, but helped expose an agreement between Iran and the terror organization that allows the latter to move funds and operatives through Iranian territory.
Responding to a question how effective those measures have been, Fisch said he could not speak specifically to amounts frozen, but could say that "as a result of these types of actions, both in July and earlier actions with respect to designations of al-Qaeda members, we've seen them cause a significant strain on al-Qaeda's financial streams and that al-Qaeda is in a much worse financial position today than, for example, they were 10 years ago."
The United States has regularly used sanctions as part of its overall effort to unmask and cut off al-Qaeda's financial support networks. Consequent to its designations, U.S. individuals and entities are prohibited from engaging in commercial or financial transactions with the targeted individuals and entities, and any assets they may hold under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen.
Fisch said these efforts had caused significant damage to al-Qaeda's ability to finance its operations and maintain its infrastructure. "We have made significant progress in breaking al-Qaeda's financial backbone, and today's announcement adds a new tool in our campaign to obstruct the financing of al-Qaeda's activities," he added.
He said the Treasury Department had taken "extensive action to counter Iran's support for terrorism, and we remain committed to using sanctions to target and expose this activity."
Suri's leadership of al-Qaeda network remains a source of critical funding and recruits for al-Qaeda, and today's announcement further disrupt the terror network's financial support system.
Suri has been responsible for moving significant amounts of funds via Iran to al-Qaeda leadership in South Asia. Those associated with his network have been responsible for moving at least hundreds of thousands of dollars to al-Qaeda leadership. In addition to moving funds, Suri has helped move operatives via Iran to al-Qaeda leadership. When he does help an operative transit to, often, Pakistan, he requires that they carry with them $10,000, according to the U.S. anti-terrorism official.
Source http://www.rttnews.com/Content/GeneralNews.aspx?Node=B1&Id=1787151
This was stated at a special briefing by Assistant Director for Threat Investigations & Analysis Robert A. Hartu and Assistant Director of the Terrorism & Financial Intelligence Office Eytan Fisch to offer a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the location of Iran-based senior al-Qaeda facilitator and financier Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil, better known as Yasin al-Suri.
They said the designation of Suri and five other members of his al-Qaeda network on July 28 this year not only targeted a core al-Qaeda financial channel, but helped expose an agreement between Iran and the terror organization that allows the latter to move funds and operatives through Iranian territory.
Responding to a question how effective those measures have been, Fisch said he could not speak specifically to amounts frozen, but could say that "as a result of these types of actions, both in July and earlier actions with respect to designations of al-Qaeda members, we've seen them cause a significant strain on al-Qaeda's financial streams and that al-Qaeda is in a much worse financial position today than, for example, they were 10 years ago."
The United States has regularly used sanctions as part of its overall effort to unmask and cut off al-Qaeda's financial support networks. Consequent to its designations, U.S. individuals and entities are prohibited from engaging in commercial or financial transactions with the targeted individuals and entities, and any assets they may hold under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen.
Fisch said these efforts had caused significant damage to al-Qaeda's ability to finance its operations and maintain its infrastructure. "We have made significant progress in breaking al-Qaeda's financial backbone, and today's announcement adds a new tool in our campaign to obstruct the financing of al-Qaeda's activities," he added.
He said the Treasury Department had taken "extensive action to counter Iran's support for terrorism, and we remain committed to using sanctions to target and expose this activity."
Suri's leadership of al-Qaeda network remains a source of critical funding and recruits for al-Qaeda, and today's announcement further disrupt the terror network's financial support system.
Suri has been responsible for moving significant amounts of funds via Iran to al-Qaeda leadership in South Asia. Those associated with his network have been responsible for moving at least hundreds of thousands of dollars to al-Qaeda leadership. In addition to moving funds, Suri has helped move operatives via Iran to al-Qaeda leadership. When he does help an operative transit to, often, Pakistan, he requires that they carry with them $10,000, according to the U.S. anti-terrorism official.
Source http://www.rttnews.com/Content/GeneralNews.aspx?Node=B1&Id=1787151
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