A report prepared for the United Nations warns of a massive Al Qaida
attack on Israel or the United States.
A draft report by the UN Monitoring Group on Al Qaida said the Islamic
insurgency group remains a threat despite the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan
and operations throughout the Persian Gulf and North Africa. The report said
Al Qaida has managed to regroup and is preparing to strike again "at its
leisure,." Middle East Newsline reported.
The monitoring panel, established by the UN Security Council, asserted
that Al Qaida has shrugged U.S.-led efforts to freeze its assets. The draft
report said the movement has access to significant financial resources.
Currently, the report said, Al Qaida is planning a new round of attacks. The draft of the report, expected expected to be released this week, states that Israel and the United
States are priority Al Qaida targets.
"Prime targets are persons and property of the United States and its
allies in the fight against al Qaida, as well as Israel," the draft report
said.
The UN panel is responsible for reporting on Al Qaida and Taliban and
related groups and recommending measures to combat them. They include the
blocking of assets, weapons embargoes against suspected terrorist sponsors
and travel bans on suspected individuals.
"The bottom line is that members of Al Qaida and their associates are
deployed in many countries across the world and given the opportunity they
will have no compunction in killing as many people as they can from those
nations who do not conform to their religious and ideological beliefs and
who they perceive as their enemies," the 43-page draft report said.
The report asserted that unspecified states, believed to be those from
the European Union, are facing difficulties in imposing measures to block
assets of insurgency suspects and restricting their travel. The UN panel
also reported that it was receiving incomplete and contradictory information
on Al Qaida suspects.
"States should exercise greater surveillance over the operations of
charities and the disbursing of funds," the report said. "Greater efforts
should be made to track down and close down business and entities supporting
Al Qaida."
