WASHINGTON Ñ U.S. officials said the war in Afghanistan and the destruction of Saudi fugitive
Osama Bin Laden's Al Qaida infrastructure has resulted in a collapse of the group's
finances. The officials said the effort has been aided by Gulf Cooperation Council states' monitoring of
of attempted money-laundering meant to finance Bin Laden agents. In all, 147 countries are aiding the effort to
block finances to Al Qaida.
"The intelligence reports that I have recently reviewed indicate that
the strategy is making a difference and Al Qaida is having difficulty in
moving money internationally," U.S. Treasury Undersecretary Jimmy Gurule
said.
Gurule said the international effort to freeze funds of Al Qaida and
other Islamic insurgency groups have been successful. The official, speaking
after a meeting with the United Nation Security Council's Afghan
Sanctions Committee on Monday, cited sanctions against the Al Barakaat
conglomerate, an international investment network that operates in 40
countries and is described as a key source of funding, intelligence and
money transfers to Bin Laden.
The Bush administration is trying to ensure passage in the Security
Council of a resolution that would block the assets of and trade with an
international list of individuals and groups involved in financing terrorist
activities. So far, the administration has designated 168 individuals or
entities as supporting, financing or facilitating terrorist financing.
"The endgame has been to disrupt the flow of terrorist organizations,
with the aim of preventing future terrorist attacks and saving lives,"
Gurule told a news conference in New York. "We've really forced them out of
their comfort zone."
