UK: Brown freezes assets of bin laden fund-raiser (helping him to build a nuclear bomb!)

The Telegraph via The Muslim News ^ | November 19 2002

[knighthawk]

Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, has acted to freeze the assets of an organisation suspected of raising funds to help Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'eda terror network build a nuclear bomb.

Financial institutions were ordered to freeze funds belonging to the Benevolence International Foundation (BIF) at midnight. BIF's chief executive Enaam Araout was recently indicted in the USA for operating it as a racketeering enterprise and providing material support to organisations including al-Qa'eda.

"Strong evidence" existed to link BIF with al-Qa'eda and bin Laden, said the Treasury.

This includes personal contacts between senior BIF officials and al-Qa'eda operatives involved in the 1998 bombings of two US embassies in Africa and attempts by al-Qa'eda to obtain uranium for the purpose of building a nuclear weapon, a spokesman said.

The Charity Commission was also taking action to impose a temporary freeze on the accounts of a British-based charity called Benevolence International (UK), while investigations are carried out into any possible links with BIF.

Despite its similar name, the Commission has "no immediate grounds" for suspecting BI (UK) of any wrongdoing, and has frozen its accounts as a "temporary and protective measure", said a Treasury statement.

Mr Brown said: "At home and abroad we continue to bear down on the funding of terrorism.

"Benevolence International Foundation raises funds for al-Qa'eda and Osama bin Laden. BIF operates as an international organisation with offices around the world and is extensively involved in funding international terrorism. I have no doubt that in taking concerted international action today we are cutting off the finances of an extremely threatening fund-raiser for terrorism.

"Here in the UK, the police have acted swiftly against terrorist suspects, with significant seizures of terrorist funds."

[knighthawk]

Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, has acted to freeze the assets of an organisation suspected of raising funds to help Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'eda terror network build a nuclear bomb.

Islam-list

If people want on or off this list, please let me know.

[Imperialist]

Please add me to the list. Thank you.

[aristeides]

Benevolence International is the charity Dirty Bomber Jose Padilla is suspected of having been associated with.

[knighthawk]

Interesting. Is there anything yet on his trail?

[facedown]

Bump

[sheik yerbouty]

Now its time to kick their assets!

[Madame Dufarge]

Thanks, knighthawk.

Good news bump!

[crazykatz]

This fund was helping Bosnian muslims too.....HMMMMMMmmm, they are all as thick as thieves aren't they?

[DBtoo]

It's time to kick their ASSets back to where they came from. They migrate to European countries to improve their quality of life and collect benefits. Then they incite their followers to plan attacks on their hosts. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. Really though, I don't understand why they just don't deport them, at the very least.