Posted on 12/22/2002 12:00:04 AM PST by Stultis
Hezbollah receives support from South American groups, official says
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By GEORGE GEDDA=
Associated Press Writer=
WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Bush administration is trying to help Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay crack down on large-scale fund raising for Hezbollah guerrillas in an area where the three countries meet.
A senior U.S. official outlined U.S. worries about the South American money pipeline after a visit to the triborder area this week by Cofer Black, the State Department's new counterterror chief. Black is former chief of counterterrorism operations for the CIA.
The official, asking not to be identified, told reporters no evidence has been found that any of the money is earmarked for the al-Qaida network, blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks and the bombings of two U.S. embassies in 1998 and the destroyer USS Cole in 2000 and other attacks against U.S. targets. He cited reports, however, that a map of the border area was recovered from an al-Qaida safe house in Afghanistan.
The official said the United States has a $1 million assistance program to help train officials from the three countries in techniques for uncovering financial transfers by groups involved.
Each country appears committed to cooperate with the United States, the official said.
Hezbollah is a radical Lebanon-based Shiite group that battled Israeli forces in south Lebanon for nearly two decades before Israel unilaterally withdrew its troops in May 2000.
More recently, it has attacked Israeli forces in an area that Hezbollah maintains is Lebanese territory. Hezbollah's biggest supporters in the region are Iran and Syria.
Along with Hezbollah, funds from the triborder area also go to Hamas, although in much smaller amounts, the official said. Hamas is a Palestinian group that seeks to establish an Islamic Palestinian state in place of Israel.
The official said the United States looks to work with Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay to develop a complete picture of the movement of money from the region to the Middle East.
The triborder area has considerable wealth and has long been known for contraband and smuggling. An estimated 20,000 immigrants from the Middle East, mostly Lebanon and Syria, live there.
The senior official said the great majority of these immigrants are not involved with resistance groups.
Sometimes, the groups solicit contributions for worthy causes but divert some of the proceeds to their radical brethren in the Middle East, the official said.
CANADA.com: "HARKAT LINKED TO U.S. AL QAIDA CELL" by Ian MacLeod, The Ottawa Citizen (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "A U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation agent says accused Ottawa terror suspect Mohamed Harkat recently communicated with suspected al Qaida sleeper cells in the United States.") (121902)
FOX NEWS.com (AP): "CANADA IS HOME TO AL QAEDA SLEEPER CELLS" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "TORONTO - An Algerian immigrant arrested in Ottawa has links to a senior member of the Al Qaeda terrorist network, Canadian intelligence authorities allege. Mohamed Harkat was awaiting orders to carry out a terrorist attack and his presence in Canada suggests other Al Qaeda associates are in the country, the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service concluded in court documents released Monday. Canadian authorities are considering whether to deport Harkat.") (121702)
THE STAR.com: "'BIN LADEN CELLS IN CANADA'" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "And for some years now, the intelligence agency has warned that with the possible exception of the United States, there are more international terrorist organizations active in Canada than anywhere in the world.") (121702)
NATIONAL POST.com: "CSIS LINKS OTTAWA MAN TO AL-QAEDA" (121702)
GOOGLE Search Term: "AHMED RESSAM"
WorldNetDaily.com: "'BLUNT' CALLS TO MUSLIMS PROMPT FBI VISIT American Protested Canada's Treatment of Man Convicted of Hate Crimes" by Art Moore (121702)
***THE STAR.com - THE TORONTO STAR (CANADIAN PRESS): Ottawa. "CANADA ALLOWS IMPORT OF BOMB BOOK" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The federal government has approved the importation of a book that gives detailed instructions for making bombs and blowing up bridges, the Ottawa Citizen reported yesterday. Even the author of The Anarchist Cookbook has renounced it as "misguided and potentially dangerous." But the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency says there is nothing to prevent its sale in Canada because it violates neither the hate law nor obscenity law, the newspaper reported.") (121502)
***FBI.gov: SEEKING INFORMATION: "AMER EL-MAATI" akas "Amro Badr Eldin Abou El-Maati, Amro Badr Abouelmaati" (SEEKING INFORMATION POSTER SNIPPET: "Amer El-Maati is being sought in connection with possible terrorist threats in the United States."..."SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS")
***FBI.gov: MOST WANTED TERRORISTS: "IMAD FAYEZ MUGNIYAH" aka "Hajj" (WANTED POSTER SNIPPETS: "Mugniyah is the alleged head of the security apparatus for the terrorist organization, Lebanese Hizballah."..."The Rewards For Justice Program, United States Department of State, is offering a reward of up to $25 million for information leading directly to the apprehension and/or conviction of Imad Fayez Mugniyah."..."SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS")
An Informative Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding an article on the INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE Online: "TERRORIST SAFE HAVEN IN LATIN AMERICA?" by Larry Rohter, The New York Times (121602)
FRONT PAGE MAGAZINE.com: "AL-QAEDA'S LATIN AMERICAN BASE" by Tom Huheey (120902)
ALBAWABA.com - The Middle East Gateway: "IS HIZBULLAH INVISIBLE LEADER INVOLVED IN ACTIVITIES IN CANADA?" (ARTICLE NOTE: The Hizbullah leader is identified as Imad Fayez Mugniyah.) (120102)
NATIONAL POST.com: "LEADING TERROR SUSPECT TIED TO CANADIAN CELL Imad Mugniyah: Academic Fears Operations Could Be Launched 'In and From' Canada" by Stewart Bell (111202)
DAILY STAR.com.lb - Lebanese News: "CNN ACCUSES MUGHNIEH OF PLANNING NEW ATTACK" (110902)
An Interesting Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding a CNN.com article: "SOUTH AMERICA'S 'TRI-BORDER' BACK ON TERRORISM RADAR" (110702)
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