Friend and Ally Update. What status do these “three individuals based in Saudi Arabia” enjoy within the Kingdom? Have they been investigated or arrested by the Saudi government? Did the House of Saud cooperate in the Treasury Department’s investigation?
“Treasury Designates Three Key Terrorist Financiers,” from the Treasury Department (thanks to Sr. Soph):
The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) three individuals based in Saudi Arabia who have served as significant sources of financial and other support to individuals and entities in Southeast Asia previously named as SDGTs and listed pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1267.
“These three terrorist financiers were instrumental in raising money to fund terrorism outside of Saudi Arabia,” said Stuart Levey, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. “In order to deter other would-be donors, it is important to hold these terrorists publicly accountable.”
Abdul Rahim Al-Talhi, Muhammad `Abdallah Salih Sughayr, and Fahd Muhammad `Abd Al-`Aziz Al-Khashiban were designated for providing support to the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), an al Qaida-affiliated terrorist group responsible for multiple bombings, kidnappings and other terrorist attacks in Southeast Asia.
Today’s action was taken pursuant to Executive Order 13224. E.O. 13224 is aimed at financially isolating terrorists and their support networks. Designations made under this authority freeze any assets the designees may have under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit transactions by U.S. persons with the designees. This action under E.O. 13224 also implements yesterday’s decision by the UN 1267 Committee to include these three persons on its Consolidated List of persons and entities associated with al Qaida, the Taliban, or Usama bin Laden. This UN decision obligates UN member countries around the world to freeze the assets of the designees.