U.S. Moves to Block Terror Money
Sep 6, 12:00 PM (ET)
By JEANNINE AVERSA
WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States and Saudi Arabia moved Friday to block the financial assets of a Saudi-born man they believe is an associate of Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect behind the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
The Treasury Department, announcing the joint action, said Wa'el Hamza Julaidan was added to the country's list of more than 200 people and organizations suspected of financially supporting terrorist activities.
Treasury said Julaidan fought with bin Laden in Afghanistan in the 1980s and is associated with several individuals and entities linked to bin Laden's al-Qaida network. Those individuals include bin Laden lieutenants Ayman al-Zawahri, Abu Zubaydah and Mohammed Atef, who are already on the American blacklist, Treasury said.
Treasury also said Julaidan served as director general of the Rabita Trust, an organization the United States said provided logistical and financial support to al-Qaida. The trust is already on the U.S. list.
Treasury's action marked the latest U.S. move to financially paralyze entities suspected of financing terrorists activities, a key component in President Bush's war on terror. Last week, the United States and Italy took joint action to block the financial assets of 25 entities.
But nearly a year after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the global campaign against terrorism has pushed al-Qaida underground but hasn't stopped the flow of money and fresh recruits to carry out new terrorist attacks, according to a draft United Nations report. Treasury believes al-Qaida is suffering financially.
Jimmy Gurule, Treasury's undersecretary for enforcement, said Friday's action is important because "it demonstrates the commitment of both the United States and Saudi Arabia to go after high impact targets." The two countries have previously teamed up to carry out simultaneous blocking orders.
Treasury's action follows recent criticism about the processes the United States has used in its effort to block funds, including the evidence gathered to support classifying a person or a group as a terrorist financier.
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