US freezes assets of groups with terrorist links

By ANDREW BUNCOMBE

WASHINGTON - Some of the names are familiar, others utterly strange to all but those immersed in the study of world terrorism. But every one, according to United States President George W. Bush, belongs to groups or individuals actively involved in Osama bin Laden's extensive terrorism network. It is a Who's Who of America's current enemies.

Mr Bush has frozen the assets of a list of closely inter-related groups linked to the terror attacks on America. He has also threatened to freeze assets of foreign banks that do not do likewise.

Describing the list of 27 names as the financial equivalent of a "most-wanted list", Mr Bush added: "We will starve the terrorists of funding, turn them against each other, root them out of their safe hiding places and bring them to justice.

"We're putting banks and financial institutions around the world on notice, we will work with their governments and ask them to freeze or block terrorist ability to access funds in foreign accounts."

Some of those listed are individuals considered to be close associates of Osama bin Laden.

In this category are Muhammed Atef, (aka Subhi Abu Sitta or Abu Hafs al-Masri) considered to be Mr bin Laden's de facto Chief of Staff along with Abu Zubaydah (aka Zayn al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn) whom US intelligence has described as the gatekeeper to Mr bin Laden's network of training camps. Abu Hafs the Mauritanian (aka Mahfouz Ould al-Walid) is also included in this group and is said to be Mr bin Laden's operations planner. In intelligence circles he is known simply as "The Mauritanian" after his country of origin.

Some of the names belong to groups that may be linked within the al Qaeda network but retain a degree of autonomy.

These include the Islamic Army of Aden, a Yemen-based group that was apparently set up in 1996 or 1997 by Abu al Hassan and was involved in the kidnap of 16 tourists on December 28 - an incident in which four British tourists were killed. The group's leader had links to Abu Hamza al-Masri, the cleric who leads the Supporters of Shariah group at the Finsbury Park mosque in London.

Another group with close links to Mr bin Laden is the Al-Jihad al-Islami, also known as Egyptian Islamic Jihad, and its leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, who is also named on the list. The group seeks to set up Islamic rule in Egypt and targets any secular establishment it consider heretical. The group has been active since the late 70s. Its leader is said to be linked, among other things, to the assassination in 1981 of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. He was convicted in absentia by Egypt in April 1999 on terrorism charges. He appeared in a video with Mr bin Laden that began circulating in late 2000 on which he threatens retaliation for the imprisonment by the US of Sheikh Omar Abd al-Rahman, the group's spiritual leader, who was convicted over his involvement in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Centre. The group - said to closely tied with the GIA or Armed Islamic Group - is said to be based in Afghanistan with cells in Egypt, Yemen, Pakistan, Sudan, Lebanon and Britain.

The GIA - which aims to overthrow the secular Algerian regime and replace it with an Islamic state - is also listed. The GIA began its violent activities in early 1992 after Algiers ignored the victory of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS)-the largest Islamic party - in the first round of legislative elections in December 1991.

Another North African-based group is the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (FIG) - a group that follows the creed of Ahlul-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah and aims to overthrow the rule of Colonel Gadaffi. The group's leader is Abdullah Sadddek.

Another name on the list is that of the Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC) - a former faction of the GIA but which split from the group in mid 1998. The leader is Hassan Hattab. Though the GSPC carries out fewer attacks than the GIA it is considered by some experts to be deadlier.

President Bush's list also contains groups that pose as legitimate charities and non-government organisations but which are allegedly fronts for terrorist operations.

One is the Al Rashid Trust, described as an Arab-Pakistani funded Islamic aid agency. Its leader, Mullah Khail, has previously claimed: "Our fund comes from 57 benevolent Muslim countries and Al Rashid enjoys good trust among the worlds' Muslims".

Yesterday Kimberly McCloud, a research associate at the centre for Non Proliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, said: "I think it is important to remember that these groups are not going to go and open bank accounts using these names. The order today is largely a symbolic move.

"If you think about Osama bin Laden, he has a very well organised and sophisticated financial network that he has used his business background to develop."

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