FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
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March 18, 2004
JS-1243
Treasury Designates Ten Al Qaida Members Operating Italy-Based Terror Cell
Designation Comes in Response to
Italy’s Submission of the Individuals to the U.N.
The Department of the Treasury today announced the terrorist designation of ten al Qaida loyalists. This action comes in support of Italy’s submission of these individuals to be listed as terrorists by the United Nations.
According to documents provided by the Italian government, the ten individuals have used their relationship with the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) to provide financial and material support for terrorist groups and have assisted in illegal immigration to Italy.
The names were submitted by Italy for listing by the United Nations (U.N.), which triggers obligations on all Member States to freeze the assets of those listed and to bar cross-border travel. The U.S. has determined that these individuals meet the standards for designation under U.S. law, and today’s action is consistent with the Financial Action Task Force’s Special Recommendation III on Terrorist Financing.
Executive Order 13224 provides means to disrupt the support network for terrorism. Under this order, the United States government may block the assets of individuals and entities providing support – financial or otherwise – to designated terrorists and terrorist organizations, who act for or on the behalf of designated terrorists or who are otherwise associated with designated terrorists. Blocking actions are critical to combating the financing of terrorism.
When a blocking action is put into place, any assets that exist in the formal financial system at the time of the orders are frozen and any future transactions through the formal financial system are restricted. Blocking actions serve additional functions as well, including serving as a deterrent for non-designated parties who might otherwise be willing to finance terrorist activity; exposing terrorist financing “money trails” that may generate leads to previously unknown terrorist cells and financiers; disrupting terrorist financing networks by encouraging designated terrorist supporters to disassociate themselves from terrorist activity and renounce their affiliation with terrorist groups; terminating terrorist cash flows by shutting down the pipelines used to move terrorist-related assets; forcing terrorists to use alternative, more costly and higher-risk means of financing their activities; and engendering international cooperation and compliance with obligations under U.N. Security Council Resolutions.
With today’s action, the U.S. and our international partners have designated 361 individuals and organizations as terrorists and terrorist supporters and have frozen approximately $139 million and seized more than $60 million in terrorist-related assets.
Please find attached a fact sheet providing further details, including the names of the 10 individuals.
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