To view or print the PDF content on this page, download the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®. August 29, 2006 Treasury Designates Key Hizballah Fundraising Organization The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated the Islamic Resistance Support Organization (IRSO), a key Hizballah fundraising organization. "While some terrorist-supporting charities try to obscure their support for violence, IRSO makes no attempt to hide its true colors. IRSO's fundraising materials present donors with the option of sending funds to equip Hizballah fighters or to purchase rockets that Hizballah uses to target civilian populations," said Stuart Levey, Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI) "IRSO works to inflict suffering rather than alleviate it." Hizballah uses IRSO to solicit donations in support of its terrorist activities. Specifically, IRSO solicits funds for Hizballah through advertisements broadcast on Hizballah's al-Manar television station. IRSO has identified itself to prospective donors as one and the same as Hizballah. Solicitation materials distributed by IRSO inform prospective donors that funds will be used to purchase sophisticated weapons and conduct operations. Indeed, donors can choose from a series of projects to contribute to, including, supporting and equipping fighters and purchasing rockets and ammunition. Identifying Information Islamic Resistance Support Organization Location: Beirut, Lebanon Background on Hizballah Most recently, in July 2006 Hizballah precipitated a violent conflict that resulted in scores of civilian casualties in Israel and Lebanon. On January 25, 1995, the Annex to the Executive Order 12947 listed Hizballah as a Specially Designated Terrorist (SDT). The Department of State designated Hizballah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in 1997. Additionally, on October 31, 2001, Hizballah was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224. REPORTS |
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