Category:FTO Warning List

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Foreign Terrorist Organizations

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January 23, 2014 – Terrorist Designation of Ziyad al-Nakhalah The Department of State has designated Ziyad al-Nakhalah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.

Ziyad al-Nakhalah is the Deputy Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a group that was designated by the U.S. State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on October 8, 1997. PIJ’s openly stated goal is the destruction of Israel. Since its inception, PIJ has carried out numerous attacks, including large-scale suicide bombings against Israeli civilian and military targets. PIJ attacks have also killed Americans abroad. PIJ receives financial assistance and training primarily from Iran.

The Department of State strongly condemned the December 22, 2013 Tel Aviv bus bombing conducted by PIJ as a “deplorable violent act targeting civilians.”

Publicly, Ziyad has repeatedly taken credit for attacks against Israel. For example, Ziyad took credit for PIJ’s indiscriminate missile attacks into Israel in 2011, 2009, and 2008. Ziyad has also cultivated strong relations with the Government of Iran, the world’s primary State Sponsor of Terrorism. In 2012, Ziyad emphasized the importance of expanding and improving relations with Hamas, another designated FTO. For example, in October 2012, PIJ announced that it had joined forces with Hamas to carry out attacks against Israel. Shortly thereafter, PIJ and Hamas claimed responsibility for firing at least 50 mortar shells into Israel the day before that announcement.

The consequences of this designation include a prohibition against U.S. persons engaging in transactions with Ziyad al-Nakhalah, and the freezing of all property and interests of Ziyad al-Nakhalah that are in the United States, or come within the United States or the possession or control of U.S. persons. The Department of State took this action in consultation with the Departments of Justice and Treasury.

Department of State Press Release and OFAC Recent Actions

January 10, 2014 – Terrorist Designations of Three Ansar al-Shari’a Organizations and Leaders

The Department of State has announced the designations of Ansar al-Shari’a in Benghazi, Ansar al-Shari’a in Darnah, and Ansar al-Shari’a in Tunisia as separate Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and as Specially Designated Global Terrorist entities under section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224. In addition to these group designations, the Department of State has also designated Ahmed Abu Khattalah, Sufian bin Qumu, and Seifallah Ben Hassine, commonly known as “Abou Iyadh,” as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under E.O. 13224. The consequences of the FTO and E.O. 13224 designations include a prohibition against knowingly providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide, material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with these organizations, and the freezing of all property and interests in property of the organization and individuals that are in the United States, or come within the United States or the control of U.S. persons. The Department of State took these actions in consultation with the Departments of Justice and Treasury.

Created separately after the fall of the Qadhafi regime, Ansar al-Shari’a in Benghazi and Ansar al-Shari’a in Darnah have been involved in terrorist attacks against civilian targets, frequent assassinations, and attempted assassinations of security officials and political actors in eastern Libya, and the September 11, 2012 attacks against the U.S. Special Mission and Annex in Benghazi, Libya. Members of both organizations continue to pose a threat to U.S. interests in Libya.Ahmed Abu Khattalah is a senior leader of Ansar al-Shari’a in Benghazi and Sufian bin Qumu is the leader of Ansar al-Shari’a in Darnah.

Founded by Seifallah Ben Hassine in early 2011, Ansar al-Shari’a in Tunisia was involved in the September 14, 2012 attack against the U.S. Embassy and American school in Tunis, which put the lives of over one hundred United States employees in the Embassy at risk. The Tunisian government has declared Ansar al-Shari’a in Tunisia a terrorist organization, and the group has been implicated in attacks against Tunisian security forces, assassinations of Tunisian political figures, and attempted suicide bombings of locations that tourists frequent. Ansar al-Shari’a in Tunisia, which is ideologically aligned with al-Qa’ida and tied to its affiliates, including AQIM, represents the greatest threat to U.S. interests in Tunisia.

The U.S. Government is committed to taking all appropriate actions against the organizations and individuals responsible for the attacks against the U.S. diplomatic facilities in Libya and Tunisia. We remain committed to working with the Libyan government to bring the perpetrators of the September 11, 2012, Benghazi attacks to justice and to ensure the safety of our personnel serving overseas. Likewise, we continue to urge the Tunisian government to bring to justice those responsible for the September 14, 2012 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Tunis.

Today, the Department of State updated its Rewards for Justice website (www.rewardsforjustice.net) to include a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of any individual responsible for the September 11, 2012 Benghazi attacks.

US Department of State Press Release

January 08, 2014 – Terrorist Designation of Qari Saifullah

The Department of State has designated Qari Saifullah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.

Qari Saifullah is the Taliban shadow deputy governor and an operational commander in Zabul Province, Afghanistan. As an operational commander, Qari Saifullah has used Taliban fighters to organize terrorist activities against the Government of Afghanistan and Coalition Forces in eastern Zabul Province. Qari Saifullah has also directly ordered his subordinates to conduct improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, small arms fire attacks, and rocket attacks in Zabul Province against the Government of Afghanistan.

On January 14, 2012, six Taliban insurgents subordinate to Qari Saifullah attacked a Romanian convoy. The Taliban insurgents attacked the convoy in the vicinity of Abdul Haq Kalay Village, Tarnak Wa Jaldak District with rocket propelled grenades (RPGs).

On September 28, 2011, two suicide bombers under the direction of Taliban commander Qari Saifullah were planning attacks. One suicide bomber planned to attack the provincial reconstruction team (PRT) at Forward Operating Base Smart in Qalat District, Zabul Province. The second suicide bomber planned to attack Forward Operating Base Bullard in Shajoy District.

On November 25, 2010, Qari Saifullah ordered a Taliban commander and Taliban shadow sub-Governor of Atghar District, Zabul Province, to transport light weapons to Qalat City Center, Zabul Province. The shipment included approximately 25 Kalashnikov rifles, 10 machine guns, five RPGs, and 20 grenades. Suicide bombers planned to use these weapons against Coalition Forces and Afghan National Security Forces, specifically targeting the Second Afghan National Army Brigade and Police Headquarters in Qalat, Zabul Province.

The consequences of this designation include a prohibition against U.S. persons engaging in transactions with Qari Saifullah, and the freezing of all property and interests of Qari Saifullah that are in the United States, or come within the United States or the possession or control of U.S. persons. The Department of State took this action in consultation with the Departments of Justice and Treasury.

US Department of State Press Release

December 18, 2013 – Terrorist Designation of Fatah al-Islam Associate Usamah Amin al-Shihabi

The Department of State has designated Fatah al-Islam (FAI) associate Usamah Amin al-Shihabi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.

Al-Shihabi is an associate of FAI, a Lebanese-based militant group formed in 2006, whose ultimate goal is the institution of Islamist sharia law in the Palestinian refugee camps and the destruction of Israel, and at times has played a key leadership role in the organization. He has also recently been appointed head of Syria-based al-Nusrah Front’s Palestinian wing in Lebanon. Al-Nusrah Front was formed by al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI) in late 2011 as a proxy for AQI’s activities in Syria and, on December 11, 2012, the State Department amended the designations of AQI as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under Executive Order 13224 to include al-Nusrah Front as an alias.

The consequences of this designation include a prohibition against U.S. persons engaging in transactions with al-Shihabi, and the freezing of all property and interests in property of al-Shihabi that are in the United States, or come within the United States or the possession or control of U.S. persons. The Department of State took this action in consultation with the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and the Treasury.

Department of State Press Release

December 18, 2013 – Terrorist Designation of the al-Mulathamun Battalion

The Department of State has designated the al-Mulathamun Battalion as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224. The consequences of the FTO and E.O. 13224 designations include a prohibition against knowingly providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide, material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with, the al-Mulathamun Battalion, and the freezing of all property and interests in property of the organization that are in the United States, or come within the United States or the control of U.S. persons. The Department of State took these actions in consultation with the Departments of Justice and Treasury.

Originally part of al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the al-Mulathamun Battalion became a separate organization in late 2012 after its leader, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, split from AQIM. In Belmokhtar’s first public statement after the split he threatened to fight against Western interests and announced the creation of the sub-battalion, “Those Who Sign in Blood,” reportedly made up of the organization’s best fighters. Soon after, the sub-battalion claimed responsibility for the January 2013 attack against a gas facility near In-Amenas, Algeria. The four-day siege resulted in the death of at least 38 civilians, including three United States citizens. Seven other Americans escaped the attack.

In May 2013, the al-Mulathamun Battalion cooperated with the E.O. 13224-designated Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) in twin suicide bombings in Niger, which killed at least 20 people. In August 2013, the al-Mulathamun Battalion and MUJAO announced that the two organizations would merge under the name “al-Murabitoun.” The newly formed al-Murabitoun extremist group constitutes the greatest near-term threat to U.S. and Western interests in the Sahel.

Both the “Those Who Sign in Blood” battalion and “al-Murabitoun” are included in the designation as aliases of the al-Mulathamun Battalion, and, as a result, all consequences of these designations will also apply to them.

Department of State Press Release

November 13, 2013 – Terrorist Designations of Boko Haram and Ansaru

The Department of State has announced the designation of Boko Haram and Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, and as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. Boko Haram is a Nigeria-based militant group with links to al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) that is responsible for thousands of deaths in northeast and central Nigeria over the last several years including targeted killings of civilians. Also operating in Nigeria, Ansaru is a Boko Haram splinter faction that earlier in 2013 kidnapped and executed seven international construction workers.

These designations are an important and appropriate step, but only one tool in what must be a comprehensive approach by the Nigerian government to counter these groups through a combination of law enforcement, political, and development efforts, as well as military engagement, to help root out violent extremism while also addressing the legitimate concerns of the people of northern Nigeria. All of our assistance to Nigeria stresses the importance of protecting civilians and ensuring that human rights are respected. That assistance and these designations demonstrate U.S. support for the Nigerian people’s fight against Boko Haram and Ansaru.

These designations will assist U.S. and other law enforcement partners in efforts to investigate and prosecute terrorist suspects associated with Boko Haram and Ansaru.

Boko Haram has been conducting an ongoing and brutal campaign against Nigerian military, government, and civilian targets. Among its most lethal attacks, Boko Haram carried out indiscriminate attacks in Benisheikh, Nigeria in September 2013 that killed more than 160 innocent civilians, including women and children. Boko Haram has also conducted attacks against international targets, including a suicide bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja on August 26, 2011, that killed 21 people and injured dozens more, many of them aid workers supporting development projects across Nigeria.

Ansaru’s attacks have focused on Nigerian military and Western targets. In November 2012, Ansaru raided a police station in Abuja, killing Nigerian police officers and freeing detained terrorists from prison. Also in January 2013, Ansaru attacked Nigerian security services when its members ambushed a convoy of Nigerian peacekeepers. Ansaru has also conducted several kidnappings of foreigners living or working in Nigeria.

The consequences of the these FTO and E.O. 13224 designations include a prohibition against knowingly providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide, material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with, Boko Haram and Ansaru, and the freezing of all property and interests in property of the organizations that are in the United States, or come within the United States or the control of U.S. persons. The Department of State took these actions in consultation with the Departments of Justice and Treasury.

Department of State Press Release & OFAC Recent Updates

July 24, 2013 – Terrorist Designation of Bulut Yayla and the Foreign Terrorist Organization Review of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C)

The U.S. Department of State has designated Bulut Yayla under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. As a result of this designation, all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction, in which Yayla has any interest is blocked and any assets he may have under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen.

Yayla is a trained operative of the DHKP/C, a Marxist terrorist organization which used a suicide bomber to attack U.S. Embassy Ankara on February 1, 2013. In March 2013, the group attacked the political headquarters of the AKP party and the Turkish Ministry of Justice. The DHKP/C advocates a Marxist-Leninist ideology and opposes the United States’ and Turkish governments, as well as NATO. Its goal is the establishment of a socialist state in Turkey.

In addition to Yayla’s designation under E.O. 13224, the U.S. Department of State has also reviewed the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation of the DHKP/C and maintained it, in accordance with Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. As a result, the legal consequences of the designation remain in place, including the prohibition against knowingly providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide, material support or resources to the DHKP/C, and the freezing of all DHKP/C assets under the control or possession of U.S. financial institutions.

In announcing this designation and the conclusion of the FTO review, the State Department seeks to emphasize our commitment to combating all forms of terrorism.

Department of State Press Release

March 21, 2013 – Terrorist Designations of Ansar al-Dine

The Department of State has designated Ansar al-Dine (AAD) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. As a result of the designation, U.S. persons are prohibited from knowingly providing material support or resources to AAD, and all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which AAD has any interest is blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with the organization or to its benefit.

AAD has also been listed by the United Nations 1267/1989 al-Qa’ida Sanctions Committee. The UN listing requires all member states to implement an assets freeze, a travel ban, and an arms embargo against AAD. The UN action demonstrates international resolve to eliminate AAD’s violent activities in Mali and the surrounding region.

Ansar al-Dine is an organization operating in Mali which cooperates closely with al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. AAD was created in late 2011 after AAD’s leader, Iyad ag Ghali, failed in an attempt to take over a secular Tuareg organization due to his extremist views. Ghali was designated by the Department of State under E.O. 13224 on February 26, 2013.

AAD has received support from AQIM since its inception in late 2011, and continues to maintain close ties to the group. AAD has received backing from AQIM in its fight against Malian and French forces, most notably in the capture of the Malian towns of Agulhok, Tessalit, Kidal, Gao, and Timbuktu, between January and April 2012. In AAD’s March 2012 attack against the town of Aguelhok, the group executed 82 Malian soldiers and kidnapped 30 more. Before the French intervention in January 2013, Malian citizens in towns under AAD’s control who did not comply with AAD’s laws faced harassment, torture, or execution.

US Department of State Press Release

January 24, 2013 – Terrorist Designation of Ahmed Abdullah Saleh al-Khazmari al-Zahrani

The Department of State designated Ahmed Abdullah Saleh al-Khazmari al-Zahrani (better known as Abu Maryam al-Zahrani) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. Abu Maryam al-Zahrani is a senior member of al-Qa’ida, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

Abu Maryam al-Zahrani is a Saudi citizen currently wanted for extradition by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for participating in terrorist activities and for his ties to al-Qa’ida, and is on the Kingdom’s most wanted terrorist list. Abu Maryam al-Zahrani is the subject of Interpol Red and Orange Notices because of his membership in al-Qa’ida and his involvement in terrorism.

In 2009, a Saudi newspaper characterized al-Zahrani as “part of al-Qa’ida’s new generation” of terrorists. Abu Maryam al-Zahrani travelled to Afghanistan and Pakistan from Saudi Arabia to join al-Qa’ida prior to 2007 and is closely connected to many senior al-Qa’ida leaders. According to open sources, al-Zahrani has been in Pakistan since at least 2009.

The designation under E.O. 13224 blocks all of Abu Maryam al-Zahrani’s property interests subject to U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with or for the benefit of al-Zahrani. The action taken against this individual demonstrates the United States’ resolve in eliminating al-Qa’ida’s ability to execute violent attacks. The Department of State took this action in consultation with the Departments of Justice and Treasury.

December 12, 2012 – FTOs Use of Social Media

QUESTION: Do ‘U.S. based’ social media companies violate sanctions if Foreign Terrorists Organizations (FTOs) agree to their company’s contractual agreement before establishing an account?

ANSWER: This is an issue governed by U.S. law, including laws that regulate interactions with designated entities. For example, persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction are prohibited from knowingly providing material support or resources to an entity that has been designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Additionally, it is illegal for persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction to engage in transactions with an entity that has been designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224.

We would refer you to the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury, respectively for any questions about how these are enforced in specific civil and criminal cases.

QA US Department of State

November 05, 2012 – Designation of Haqqani Network Chief of Suicide Operations Qari Zakir

The Secretary of State has designated Haqqani Network chief of suicide operations Qari Zakir (also known as Abdul Rauf) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. As a result of the designation, all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which Zakir has any interest is blocked and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him or to his benefit.

In addition to today’s domestic designation under E.O. 13224, both Qari Zakir and the Haqqani Network as an organization were listed by the United Nations 1988 Sanctions Committee. The UN listings will require all UN member states to implement an assets freeze, a travel ban, and an arms embargo against the Haqqani Network and Qari Zakir. The Haqqani Network was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under E.O. 13224 in September 2012, and today’s UN actions demonstrate international resolve in eliminating the Haqqani Network’s ability to execute violent attacks in Afghanistan.

Qari Zakir is the chief of suicide operations for the Haqqani Network and the operational commander in Kabul, Takhar, Kunduz, and Baghlan Provinces, Afghanistan. Zakir is responsible for the Haqqani Network’s training program, which includes instruction in small arms, heavy weapons, and basic improvised explosive device (IED) construction.

Zakir approached Haqqani Network leader Sirajuddin Haqqani in 2008, requesting financial assistance in exchange for expanding the group’s influence and operations into northern Afghanistan, and has become a trusted associate and confidant of Sirajuddin. He has been involved in many of the Haqqani Network’s high-profile suicide attacks and is partially responsible for making some of the final determinations on whether or not to proceed with large-scale attacks planned by local district-level commanders. Attacks using personnel selected from Zakir’s training program include the 2010 attacks on coalition force bases Salerno and Chapman; the June 2011 attack on the Intercontinental Hotel, which killed 11 civilians and two Afghan policemen; and the September 2011 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, which killed 16 Afghans, including at least six children.

US Department of State Press Release

October 04, 2012 – Terrorist Designations of Ansar al-Sharia as an Alias for Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula

The Department of State amended the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and E.O. 13224 designations of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula to include the new alias, Ansar al-Shari’a (AAS). The Department of State previously designated AQAP as an FTO and under E.O. 13224 on January 19, 2010.

AAS – which is based in Yemen and is a separate entity from Ansar al-Shari’a in Libya – was established to attract potential followers to shari’a rule in areas under the control of AQAP. However, AAS is simply AQAP’s effort to rebrand itself, with the aim of manipulating people to join AQAP’s terrorist cause. AAS has publicly stated that the particular brand of shari’a they hope to implement is the same as that espoused by the Afghan Taliban and the Islamic State of Iraq, a militant umbrella group and designated Foreign Terrorist Organization that includes al-Qa’ida in Iraq.

AAS has taken responsibility for multiple attacks against Yemeni forces. One such attack, which took place in May 2012, killed more than 100 Yemeni soldiers in a suicide bombing during a parade. In March 2012, a series of attacks and armed assaults by AAS in southern Yemen killed 100 people, many of whom were Yemeni soldiers.

The consequences of adding the new alias for AQAP include a prohibition against knowingly providing material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with, Ansar al-Shari’a, and the freezing of all property and interest in property of the organization that are in the United States, or come within the United States, or the control of U.S. persons. The Department of State took these actions in consultation with the Departments of Justice and Treasury.

In addition, today the United Nations 1267/1989 Al-Qa’ida Sanctions Committee listed AAS. As a consequence the group now faces a worldwide assets freeze, a travel ban, and an arms embargo. The actions taken today against AAS support the U.S. effort to degrade the capabilities of its parent organization, AQAP. We are determined to eliminate AQAP’s ability to execute violent attacks and to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat their networks.

US Department of State Press Release

September 28, 2012 – Delisting of the Mujahedin-e Khalq – The Secretary of State has decided, consistent with the law, to revoke the designation of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) and its aliases as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under the Immigration and Nationality Act and to delist the MEK as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224. These actions are effective today. Property and interests in property in the United States or within the possession or control of U.S. persons will no longer be blocked, and U.S. entities may engage in transactions with the MEK without obtaining a license. These actions will be published in the Federal Register.

With today’s actions, the Department does not overlook or forget the MEK’s past acts of terrorism, including its involvement in the killing of U.S. citizens in Iran in the 1970s and an attack on U.S. soil in 1992. The Department also has serious concerns about the MEK as an organization, particularly with regard to allegations of abuse committed against its own members.

The Secretary’s decision today took into account the MEK’s public renunciation of violence, the absence of confirmed acts of terrorism by the MEK for more than a decade, and their cooperation in the peaceful closure of Camp Ashraf, their historic paramilitary base.

The United States has consistently maintained a humanitarian interest in seeking the safe, secure, and humane resolution of the situation at Camp Ashraf, as well as in supporting the United Nations-led efforts to relocate eligible former Ashraf residents outside of Iraq.

US Department of State Press Release & OFAC Resource Center

September 07, 2012 – Haqqani Network meets the statutory criteria of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) for designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

Press Statement: Hillary Rodham Clinton – This action meets the requirements of the Haqqani Network Terrorist Designation Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-168). Based on that assessment, I notified Congress of my intent to designate the Haqqani Network as an FTO under the INA. I also intend to designate the organization as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under Executive Order 13224.

The consequences of these designations include a prohibition against knowingly providing material support or resources to, or engaging in other transactions with, the Haqqani Network, and the freezing of all property and interests in property of the organization that are in the United States, or come within the United States, or the control of U.S. persons. These actions follow a series of other steps that the U.S. government already has taken against the Haqqanis. The Department of State previously designated key Haqqani Network leaders under E.O. 13224, and the Department of the Treasury has designated other militants with ties to the Haqqanis under the same authority. We also continue our robust campaign of diplomatic, military, and intelligence pressure on the network, demonstrating the United States’ resolve to degrade the organization’s ability to execute violent attacks.

I take this action in the context of our overall strategy in Afghanistan, the five lines of effort that President Obama laid out when he was in Afghanistan in May: increasing the capacity of Afghan security forces to fight insurgents; transitioning to Afghan security lead; building an enduring partnership with Afghanistan; pursuing Afghan-led reconciliation; and putting together an international consensus to support peace and stability in the region. We will continue to work with both Afghanistan and Pakistan to move these efforts forward and build a more peaceful and secure future.

US Department of State Press release & OFAC Recent Actions

Augustus 30, 2012 – Anti-Terrorism Designations (SDGT) – US designates eight Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders as terrorists, places sanctions

The US Treasury Department has designated eight leaders of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as terrorists and placed sanctions on them, holding them accountable for the Mumbai attacks in 2008, and attacks on coalition and Afghan forces in Afghanistan.

LET was designated by the Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and under E.O. 13224 as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity in December 2001. LET was added to the UN 1267/1989 Committee’s Consolidated List – its list of sanctioned terrorists – in May 2005.

Despite being banned by the Government of Pakistan in January 2002, LET continues to operate in Pakistan and throughout the region and engage in or support terrorist activities worldwide. LET has conducted numerous terrorist acts against Pakistani, Indian, Afghan, and U.S. interests and is responsible for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed more than 160 people, including six Americans, and the July 2006 Mumbai train bombings that killed more than 180 people.

All of the individuals designated today pursuant to E.O. 13224 were designated for acting on behalf of or providing support either to LET itself or to previously designated members of LET. Today’s action prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in any transactions with these individuals and freezes any assets the designees have under U.S. jurisdiction.

The following individuals have been added to OFAC’s SDN List: <sort> HAMZA, Amir (a.k.a. HAMZA, Maulana Ameer), Jamia Masjid, al Qadsia, Chauburji Chowk, Lahore, Pakistan; DOB 10 May 1959; POB Sheikhupura, Punjab Province, Pakistan; citizen Pakistan; Passport AB6217491 issued 01 Jun 2006 expires 01 Jun 2011; National ID No. 3520149847497 (Pakistan) (individual) [SDGT]. MIR, Sajjid (a.k.a. CHAUDARY, Sajid Majeed; a.k.a. CHUHDRI, Sajid Majid; a.k.a. MAJEED, Sajid; a.k.a. MAJID, Sajid; a.k.a. MAJID, Sajjid; a.k.a. MIR, Sajid); DOB 31 Jan 1976; alt. DOB 01 Jan 1978; POB Lahore, Pakistan; nationality Pakistan; Passport KE381676 (Pakistan) issued 14 Oct 2004; National ID No. 3520163573447 (Pakistan) (individual) [SDGT]. MUJAHID, Abdullah (a.k.a. ABDALLAH, Abu), Mohallah Markaz Tayyeba Street, Muridke, Lahore, Pakistan; DOB 15 May 1970; POB Bhalwal, Sargodha District, Punjab Province, Pakistan; citizen Pakistan; Passport DM1074371 (Pakistan) issued 30 May 2009 expires 29 May 2014; National ID No. 3540118204373 (Pakistan) (individual) [SDGT]. MUNTAZIR, Abdullah (a.k.a. KHAN, Abdullah; a.k.a. MUNTAZER, Abdullah); DOB 17 Jan 1974; POB Abbottabad, Pakistan; National ID No. 3520203526763 (Pakistan) (individual) [SDGT]. SAEED, Talha (a.k.a. SAEED, Hafiz Talha; a.k.a. SAEED, Mohammad Talha; a.k.a. SAEED, Tahil), 116-E Block, Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan; DOB 25 Oct 1975; POB Sarghoda, Punjab Province, Pakistan; Passport BM5971331 (Pakistan) issued 24 Mar 2007 expires 22 Mar 2012 (individual) [SDGT]. SHEIKH, Qari Muhammad Yaqoob (a.k.a. SHEIKH, Qari Muhammad Yaqub; a.k.a. YAQOOB, Mohammad; a.k.a. YAQOOB, Qari Shaikh Muhammad); DOB 20 Dec 1972; POB Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan; Passport BX5192361 (Pakistan) issued 04 Aug 2007 expires 02 Aug 2012; National ID No. 3120128002365 (Pakistan) (individual) [SDGT]. WALID, Hafiz Khalid (a.k.a. NAIK, Khalid; a.k.a. WALEED, Khalid); DOB 25 Oct 1974; alt. DOB 1971; POB Lahore, Pakistan; citizen Pakistan; Passport AA9967331 (Pakistan) issued 03 Jun 2006 expires 02 Jun 2011; National ID No. 3410104067339 (Pakistan) (individual) [SDGT]. YAQUB, Ahmed (a.k.a. GHANI, Hamad; a.k.a. YAKOOB, Mohammad); DOB 1966; alt. DOB 1967; POB Faisalabad, Pakistan; alt. POB Jeda Walah, Punjab Province, Pakistan (individual) [SDGT]. </sort> Source: OFAC Recent Actions & Tribune News Item & Treasury / OFAC Press Center

August 21, 2012 – FEDS announce seizure of $150 Million in connection with Hizballah related money laundering scheme

DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart and United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara today announced the seizure of $150 million in connection with a civil money laundering and forfeiture complaint filed in December 2011 alleging a massive, international scheme in which entities linked to Hizballah, including the now defunct Lebanese Canadian Bank (“LCB”), used the U.S. financial system to launder narcotics trafficking and other criminal proceeds through West Africa and back into Lebanon.

In September 2011, Société Générale de Banque au Liban (“SGBL”) agreed to purchase most of the assets of LCB, and at least $150 million in purchase price funds related to that sale are being held in escrow in Lebanon at the Banque Libano Française SAL (“BLF”). The seized funds are substitutes for the money in the LCB escrow account at BLF, and came from an account at a U.S. bank that is used by BLF to conduct U.S. currency transactions (the “correspondent account”). The funds were seized pursuant to seizure warrants issued on August 15, 2012. There are no allegations of wrongdoing against BLF, SGBL, or the U.S. bank that maintains the correspondent account for BLF in the U.S.

“As we alleged last year, the Lebanese Canadian Bank played a key role in facilitating money laundering for Hizballah controlled organizations across the globe,” Administrator Leonhart said. “Our relentless pursuit of global criminal networks showed that the U.S. banking system was exploited to launder drug trafficking funds through West Africa and into Lebanon. DEA and our partners are attacking these groups and their financial infrastructure, while establishing clear links between drug trafficking proceeds and terrorist funding.”

“Money is the lifeblood of terrorist and narcotics organizations, and while banks which launder money for terrorists and narco-traffickers may be located abroad, today’s announcement demonstrates that those banks and their assets are not beyond our reach,” U.S. Attorney Bharara said. “We will use every resource at our disposal to separate terrorists and narco-traffickers, and the banks that work with them, from their illicit funds, even those hidden in foreign accounts.”

According to the Complaint, the affidavit in support of the seizure warrants and other documents filed in the case:

From approximately January 2007 to early 2011, at least $329 million was transferred by wire from LCB and other financial institutions to the U.S for the purchase of used cars that were then shipped to West Africa. Cash from the sale of the cars, along with the proceeds of narcotics trafficking, were funneled to Lebanon through Hizballah-controlled money laundering channels. LCB played a key role in these money laundering channels and conducted business with a number of Hizballah-related entities. Hizballah is a U.S. Department of State designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, a Specially Designated Terrorist and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

On February 10, 2011, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) issued a finding and proposed rule, pursuant to the USA Patriot Act, that LCB is a financial institution of primary money laundering concern, based on, among other things, FinCEN’s determination that there was reason to believe that LCB had been routinely used by drug traffickers and money launderers operating in various countries in Central and South America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. FinCEN also determined that there was reason to believe that LCB managers were complicit in the network’s money laundering activities.

After the FinCEN action, another Lebanese financial institution, SGBL acquired the assets and liabilities of LCB for $580 million, $150 million of which is being held in an escrow account at BLF (the “LCB Escrow Funds”). Because the LCB Escrow Funds are traceable to the assets of LCB, they are also subject to forfeiture, but since they are in an account in Lebanon, the U.S. is unable to seize the LCB Escrow Funds directly. However, pursuant to U.S. law, the U.S. can seize funds located in a bank’s correspondent accounts in the U.S. if there is probable cause to believe that funds subject to forfeiture are on deposit with that bank overseas. Based on this provision and others, the seizure warrants were executed. A total of $150 million was seized from BLF’s correspondent account. These funds will be transferred to a seized asset account maintained by the United States Marshals Service pending resolution of the forfeiture action.

July 31, 2012 – Country Reports on Terrorism 2011

U.S. law requires the Secretary of State to provide Congress, by April 30 of each year, a full and complete report on terrorism with regard to those countries and groups meeting criteria set forth in the legislation. This annual report is entitled Country Reports on Terrorism. Beginning with the report for 2004, it replaced the previously published Patterns of Global Terrorism. Country Reports on Terrorism 2011

June 21, 2012 – Anti-Terrorism Designations on Terrorist Groups in Nigeria & Spain – The following individuals have been added to OFAC’s SDN list:

• AL-BARNAWI, Khalid (a.k.a. AL-BARNAWI, Khaled; a.k.a. BARNAWI, Khalid; a.k.a. EL-BARNAOUI, Khaled; a.k.a. HAFSAT, Abu; a.k.a. USMAN, Mohammed), Nigeria; DOB 1976; POB Maiduguri, Nigeria (individual) [SDGT]
• KAMBAR, Abubakar Adam (a.k.a. KAMBAR, Abu Yasir; a.k.a. KAMBAR, Abubakar; a.k.a. YASIR, Abu), Nigeria; DOB 1977; POB Maiduguri, Nigeria (individual) [SDGT]
• SHEKAU, Abubakar (a.k.a. BI MUHAMMED, Abu Muhammed Abubakar; a.k.a. BIN MOHAMMED, Abu Mohammed Abubakar; a.k.a. “SHAYKU”; a.k.a. “SHEHU”; a.k.a. “SHEKAU”), Nigeria; DOB 1969; POB Shekau Village, Yobe State, Nigeria (individual) [SDGT]
• YARZA, Aitzol Iriondo (a.k.a. “BALAK”; a.k.a. “BARBAS”; a.k.a. “GURBITA”; a.k.a. “GURBITZ”); DOB 8 Mar 1977; POB San Sebastina, Guipuzcoa, Spain; nationality Spain; Personal ID Card 72.467.565 (Spain); Organization: Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA); In custody in France (individual) [SDGT]

OFAC Anti Terrorism Designations

• Terrorist Groups in Spain US Department of State Press Release – Terrorist Designation of Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) Leader Aitzol Iriondo Yarza
• Terrorist Groups in Nigeria US Department of State Press Release – Terrorist Designations of Boko Haram Commander Abubakar Shekau, Khalid al-Barnawi and Abubakar Adam Kambar

May 24, 2012 – Terrorist Designations of the Abdallah Azzam Brigades

The Department of State designated the Abdallah Azzam Brigades (AAB) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. The Abdallah Azzam Brigades (AAB), a militant organization based in both Lebanon and the Arabian Peninsula, was formed in 2009. AAB is led by Saleh al-Qar’awi, who was designated by the Department of State under E.O. 13224. The Department of State also designated AAB’s bomb maker, Abu Jabal, under E.O. 13224 on November 22, 2011.

AAB carried out a July 2010 attack on the Japanese-owned oil tanker M/V M.Star in the Strait of Hormuz. According to a statement released online, AAB claimed that the attack was carried out by its Arabian Peninsula Branch, which calls itself the Yusuf al-’Uyayri Battalions of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades. AAB has repeatedly articulated its intent to carry out attacks against Western interests in the Middle East. In 2010, for instance, the group expressed an interest in kidnapping U.S. and British tourists in the Arabian Peninsula.

In addition, AAB is responsible for numerous indiscriminate rocket attacks on Israeli civilians. These attacks, which have been launched from within Lebanon by the Ziyad al-Jarrah Battalions of the Abdallah Azzam Brigades, have targeted population centers in northern Israel.

The consequences of these designations include a prohibition against knowingly providing material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with, the Abdallah Azzam Brigades, and the freezing of all property and interest in property of the organization that are in the United States, or come within the United States, or the control of U.S. persons. The Department of State took these actions in consultation with the Departments of Justice and Treasury.

US Department of State Press Release

March 23, 2012 – The Lord’s Resistance Army – Fact Sheet

• The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has been active since 1986, making it one of Africa’s oldest, most violent, and persistent armed groups. The LRA was formed in northern Uganda to fight against the Government of Uganda, and operated there from 1986 to 2006. At the height of the conflict, nearly two million people in northern Uganda were displaced.

• Lacking public support, the LRA resorted to forcible recruitment to fill its ranks. A 2006 study funded by UNICEF estimated that at least 66,000 children and youth had been abducted by the LRA between 1986 and 2005. According to that study, most of these children were only held for a brief period of time and then released or escaped, but others were forced to become child soldiers or sex slaves and commit unspeakable acts.

• Under increasing pressure, LRA’s leader Joseph Kony ordered the LRA to withdraw completely from Uganda in 2005 and 2006 and move west into the border region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR), and what would become the Republic of South Sudan. The LRA has continued to operate in this border region to date.

• With the LRA’s departure, northern Uganda has undergone a significant positive transformation. More than 95% of the people who once lived in displacement camps have left to rebuild their lives. The United States has played a leading role, among donors, in supporting this Uganda-led recovery process.

• Since 2000, more than 12,000 former LRA fighters and abductees have left the group and been reintegrated through Uganda’s Amnesty Commission. Many more have escaped and returned to their communities without going through reception centers.

• From 2006 to 2008, representatives of the Government of Uganda and the LRA participated in negotiations in Juba, South Sudan, mediated by Southern Sudan officials. The U.S. State Department sent a senior official to support the talks. The negotiators finalized a peace agreement, but Joseph Kony refused on multiple occasions to sign. During 2008, the LRA increased attacks and abductions in the DRC and CAR. In late 2008, regional leaders agreed to undertake new military operations against the LRA. Since then, the Ugandan military has continued to pursue LRA groups across the region, in coordination with the other militaries.

• As a result of military pressure and defections, the LRA’s core fighters have been reduced to an estimated 150-200, in addition to an unknown number of accompanying abductees, women and children. However, the LRA retains the capacity to cast a wide shadow across the region because of its brutality and the fear it arouses in local populations. According to the UN, there were 278 reported attacks attributed to the LRA in 2011. The UN estimates that more than 465,000 people in CAR, the DRC, and South Sudan were displaced or living as refugees during 2011 as a result of the LRA threat.

• In 2005, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the LRA’s top leader Joseph Kony and four other top commanders – Vincent Otti, Okot Odhiambo, Dominic Ongwen, and Raska Lukwiya – for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Otti and Lukwiya are now believed to be dead, but the others remain at large.

• The United Nations Security Council has repeatedly condemned ongoing attacks carried out by the LRA and commended the important efforts undertaken by militaries in the region to address the threat posed by the LRA. The UN has peacekeeping operations in South Sudan and the DRC whose mandates include helping to address the LRA.

• On November 22, 2011, the African Union formally designated the LRA as a terrorist group and authorized an initiative to enhance regional cooperation toward the elimination of the LRA. The U.S. State Department has included the LRA on its “Terrorist Exclusion List” since 2001. In 2008, Joseph Kony was designated by the State Department as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist,” under Executive Order 13324.

• Over the past decade (FY 2002-FY 2011), the United States has provided more than $560 million in humanitarian assistance specifically benefiting LRA-affected populations in Uganda, CAR, the DRC and Sudan, in addition to countrywide assistance in the affected countries that could benefit individuals affected by LRA violence.

US Department of State Press Release

February 23, 2012 – Anti-Terrorism Designations – Terrorist Designations of Jemmah Anshorut Tauhid

Today, the Department of State designated Jemmah Anshorut Tauhid (JAT) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. An Indonesia-based group, JAT is responsible for multiple coordinated attacks against innocent civilians, police, and military personnel in Indonesia. These designations coincide with the Department of the Treasury’s designation of three JAT leaders: JAT’s acting Emir Mochammad Achwan, JAT spokesperson Son Hadi bin Muhadjir, and JAT leadership figure Abdul Rosyid Ridho Ba’asyir, involved in recruiting and fundraising activities.

JAT seeks to establish an Islamic caliphate in Indonesia, and has carried out numerous attacks on Indonesian Government personnel and civilians in order to achieve this goal. Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, the founder and leader of JAT, and a UN 1267 listed individual, was convicted and sentenced to prison in 2011 for his role in organizing a militant training camp in Aceh. Ba’asyir is also the co-founder and former leader of Jemmah Islamiya (JI), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), which is responsible for the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed more than 200 people.

JAT has conducted multiple attacks targeting civilians and Indonesian officials, resulting in the deaths of several Indonesian police. JAT has robbed banks and carried out other illicit activities to fund the purchase of assault weapons, pistols, and bomb-making materials. This past year, on September 25, 2011, a JAT suicide bomber detonated explosives inside a church in Central Java, killing the bomber and wounding dozens. Indonesian police arrested other JAT members in connection with this bombing and uncovered a plot for additional suicide attacks. In April 2011, a suicide bomber carried out an attack at a mosque in West Java that injured dozens of police officers and killed the bomber.

These designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to abandon terrorism. The consequences of these designations include a prohibition against knowingly providing material support or resources to, or engaging in other transactions with JAT, and the freezing of all the organization’s property and interests in property in the United States, or that come from within the United States, or the control of U.S. persons. The Department of State took these actions in consultation with the Department of Justice and the Department of Treasury.

US State Department Press Release & US Department of Treasury Press Release

The following individuals have been added to OFAC’s SDN list: <sort> ACHWAN, Mochammad (a.k.a. ACHWAN, Mochdar; a.k.a. ACHWAN, Mochtar; a.k.a. ACHWAN, Muhammad; a.k.a. AKHWAN, Mochtar; a.k.a. AKHWAN, Muhammad; a.k.a. AKWAN, Mochtar), Jalan Ir. H. Juanda 8/10, RT/RW 002/001, Jodipan, Blimbing, Malang, Indonesia; DOB 4 May 1948; alt. DOB 4 May 1946; POB Tulungagung, Indonesia; nationality Indonesia; National ID No. 3573010405480001 (Indonesia) (individual) [SDGT] BA’ASYIR, Abdul Rosyid Ridho (a.k.a. BA’ASYIR, Rashid Rida; a.k.a. BA’ASYIR, Rasyid Ridho; a.k.a. BA’ASYIR, Rosyid Ridho; a.k.a. BASHIR, Abdul Rosyid Ridho; a.k.a. BASHIR, Rashid Rida; a.k.a. BASHIR, Rasyid Ridho; a.k.a. BASHIR, Rosyid Ridho), Pondok Pesantren Al Wayain Ngrandu, Sumber Agung, Magetan, East Java, Indonesia; DOB 31 Jan 1974; POB Sukoharjo, Indonesia; nationality Indonesia; National ID No. 1127083101740003 (Indonesia) (individual) [SDGT] BIN MUHADJIR, Son Hadi (a.k.a. BIN MUHADJR, Son Hadi; a.k.a. BIN MUJAHIR, Son Hadi; a.k.a. MUHADJIR, Son bn Hadi), Jalan Raya Gongdanglegi, RT/RW 1/13, Cangkring Malang, Beji, Pasuran 67154, Indonesia; DOB 12 May 1971; POB Pasuran, East Java, Indonesia; nationality Indonesia; National ID No. 3514131205710004 (Indonesia); Passport R057803 (Indonesia) (individual) [SDGT] </sort> The following entities have been added to OFAC’s SDN list:

• JEMMAH ANSHORUT TAUHID (a.k.a. JAMAAH ANSHARUT TAUHID; a.k.a. JAMA’AH ANSHARUT TAUHID; a.k.a. JEMMAH ANSHARUT TAUHID; a.k.a. JEM’MAH ANSHARUT TAUHID; a.k.a. LASKAR 99; a.k.a. “JAT”), Indonesia [FTO] [SDGT]

OFAC Recent Updates

February 07, 2012 – U.S. Support to Regional Efforts To Counter the Lord’s Resistance Army

In May 2010, President Obama signed into law the Lord’s Resistance (LRA) Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, which reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to support regional partners’ efforts to end the atrocities of the LRA in central Africa. For more than two decades, the LRA has murdered, raped, and kidnapped tens of thousands of innocent men, women, and children. In 2011, the LRA reportedly committed over 250 attacks. As of August 2011, the United Nations estimates that approximately 440,000 people are displaced across Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and South Sudan as a result of LRA activity.

The United States’ comprehensive, multi-year strategy seeks to help the Governments of Uganda, CAR, the DRC, and South Sudan as well as the African Union and United Nations to mitigate and end the threat posed to civilians and regional stability by the LRA.

The strategy outlines four key objectives for U.S. support:

1. the increased protection of civilians,
2. the apprehension or removal of Joseph Kony and senior LRA commanders from the battlefield,
3. the promotion of defections and support of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of remaining LRA fighters, and
4. the provision of continued humanitarian relief to affected communities.

To advance this strategy, the United States has sent a small number of military advisers to the LRA-affected region to enhance the capacity of the national militaries to pursue senior LRA commanders and to protect civilians. The U.S. Embassies in the region are also working closely with bilateral and multilateral partners to advance the strategy, and the Department of State has deployed a field representative to augment this engagement.

The lines of effort in which the United States is engaged include:

Increasing Civilian Protection: The protection of civilians is a priority for the U.S. strategy. National governments bear responsibility for civilian protection, and the United States is working to enhance their capacity to fulfill this responsibility. The United States also strongly supports the United Nations peacekeeping missions in the DRC and South Sudan and the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the CAR. We continue to work with the United Nations to help augment its efforts in the LRA-affected region. At the same time, we are working with other partners on projects to help reduce the vulnerability of LRA-affected communities and increase their capacity to make decisions related to their own safety. To promote the protection of civilians, the Department of State and USAID are funding communication networks, including high-frequency radios and cell phone towers to enhance community-based protection in Bas- and Haut-Uele districts in the DRC.

Enhancing Regional Efforts to Apprehend LRA Top Commanders: On November 14, 2011, the United Nations Security Council commended ongoing efforts by national militaries in the region to address the threat posed by the LRA, and welcomed international efforts to enhance their capacity in this respect. The Council noted the efforts of the United States, which, since 2008, has provided over $40 million in critical logistical support, equipment and training to enhance counter-LRA operations by regional militaries. On October 14, 2011, President Obama reported to Congress that he had authorized a small number of U.S. advisors to deploy to the LRA-affected region, in consultation with national governments, to act as advisors to the militaries that are pursuing the LRA. The U.S. military advisors are working to help strengthen cooperation and information-sharing among regional forces, and to enhance the capacity of the militaries to fuse intelligence with effective operational planning.

Encouraging and Facilitating LRA Defections: Over the course of this conflict, more than 12,000 former LRA fighters and abductees have been reintegrated and reunited with their families through Uganda’s Amnesty Commission. The United States continues to support efforts across the affected countries to demobilize and reintegrate former LRA fighters and all those victimized by this conflict back into normal life. In Fiscal Year 2011, USAID provided nearly $2 million to support the rehabilitation of former abducted youth in CAR and the DRC and their reunification with their families. The United States is working with the United Nations, the African Union, and national governments in the region to enhance processes across the region to facilitate the safe return, repatriation, and reintegration of those who defect or escape from the LRA’s ranks.

Providing Humanitarian Assistance: The United States is the largest bilateral donor of humanitarian assistance to LRA-affected populations in CAR, the DRC, and South Sudan. In Fiscal Year 2011, the United States provided more than $18 million to support the provision of food assistance and implementation of food security, humanitarian protection, health, livelihoods initiatives, and other relief activities for internally displaced persons, host community members, and other populations affected by the LRA. The United States also continues to provide assistance to support the return of displaced people, reconstruction, and recovery in northern Uganda, where the LRA carried out its brutal campaign for nearly two decades until it fled Uganda in 2006. With the LRA’s departure and Ugandan and international recovery and development efforts, northern Uganda has undergone a significant post-conflict reconstruction and recovery in just a few years.

US Department of State Press Release

February 01, 2012 – Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) Tied to Drug Trafficking in Europe – U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced the designation of Moldovan-based individuals Zeyneddin Geleri, Cerkez Akbulut (a.k.a. Cernit Murat), and Omer Boztepe as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers (SDNTs) for acting for or on behalf of the PKK, also known as Kurdistan Workers Party or Kongra-Gel. OFAC also designated Omer Geleri and three Romanian-based companies due to their ties and or activities related to Zeyneddin Geleri. Today’s action represents the first designation under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act) of entities that are owned or controlled by individuals acting for the PKK in Europe. As a result of this action, U.S. persons are prohibited from conducting financial or commercial transactions with the designees and any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen.

Zeyneddin Geleri has been identified as a high ranking member of the PKK, and a member of a Romania-based drug trafficking organization utilizing import and export companies for illicit activities across Europe. Geleri is also suspected of complicity with PKK activist Cerkez Akbulut, also known as Cernit Murat, who was the target of a March 2008 seizure of 199 kilograms of heroin worth approximately $8.8 million by Moldovan police. Akbulut is a PKK activist in Moldova responsible for the collection of funds in support of the group. Omer Boztepe acts for the PKK and is currently a fugitive from Moldovan authorities after being sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for narcotics trafficking activities.

The following individuals have been added to OFAC’s SDN list:

• AKBULUT, Cerkez (a.k.a. MURAT, Altig; a.k.a. MURAT, Cernit); DOB 18 Nov 1965; alt. DOB 31 Oct 1971; POB Bingol, Turkey; alt. POB Deric, Turkey; citizen Turkey; Driver’s License No. 04900377 (Moldova) issued 2 Jul 2004; Passport TR-J 565114 (Turkey) issued 10 Sep 1997; Refugee ID Card A88000043 (Moldova) issued 16 Dec 2005; Stateless Person ID Card CC00200261 (Moldova) issued 9 Sep 2000; Stateless Person Passport C000375 (Moldova) issued 9 Sep 2000 (individual) [SDNTK]
• BOZTEPE, Omer; DOB 1 Jan 1966; POB Bozova, Sanliurfa, Turkey; nationality Turkey (individual) [SDNTK]
• GELERI, Omer, Prundeni, Valcea, Romania; c/o MEGA GROUP S.R.L.; c/o GELRO IMPEX S.R.L.; DOB 1 Mar 1946; POB Mardin, Turkey; nationality Turkey; CNP (Personal Numerical Code) 7460301380011 (Romania); Romanian Permanent Resident CAN 0125477 (Romania) issued 13 Jul 2007 (individual) [SDNTK]
• GELERI, Zeyneddin, c/o GELERI IMPORT EXPORT S.R.L.; c/o MEGA GROUP S.R.L.; DOB 13 Oct 1973; alt. DOB 13 Oct 1977; POB Mardin, Turkey; citizen Turkey; nationality Turkey (individual) [SDNTK]

The following entities have been added to OFAC’s SDN list:

• GELERI IMPORT EXPORT S.R.L., 3 Str. Clinceni Depozitul, C10, Ilfov 70000, Romania; Romanian C.R. J23/242/2004 (Romania) [SDNTK]
• GELRO IMPEX S.R.L., Cart. Cring, Bloc 2C, Ap. 16, Municipiul Buzau, Buzau 120164, Romania; C.R. No. J10/623/1997 (Romania); Fiscal Code 9896460 (Romania) [SDNTK]
• MEGA GROUP S.R.L., No. 3, Commune Bragadiru, Clinceni, Ilfov 77060, Romania; C.R. No. J23/863/2002 (Romania); Romanian Tax Registration 14637977 (Romania) [SDNTK]

OFAC Press Release & OFAC Designation Message

January 26, 2012 – OFAC designated Yassin Chouka, Monir Chouka and Mevlut Kar as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. The consequences of these designations include a prohibition against engaging in transactions with these individuals, and the freezing of all property and interests in property that is in the United States, or comes within the United States or the control of U.S. persons. The Chouka brothers and Kar were also listed at the UN 1267/1989 Committee for their links to al-Qaida.

Brothers Yassin and Monir Chouka are fighters, recruiters, facilitators and propagandists for the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Mevlut Kar is a facilitator and recruiter for the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) which is, like the IMU, a designated FTO.

Monir Chouka, also known as Abu Adam, and Yassin Chouka, also known as Abu Ibrahim, carry out operations as members of the IMU along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The Chouka brothers are also senior members of Jundallah Media, the IMU’s media production arm.

OFAC Recent Actions & US Department of State Press Release

January 05, 2012 – Designation of the al-Qaida Kurdish Battalions – The Department of State has designated the al-Qaida Kurdish Battalions (AQKB) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. As a result of the designation, any assets that AQKB holds under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen and U.S persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the organization. This action will help stem the flow of financial and other assistance to AQKB.

Established in 2007 from the remnants of other Kurdish terrorist organizations, AQKB has sworn allegiance publicly to other terrorist groups, including al-Qaida and al-Qaida in Iraq. Operating along the border between Iran and Iraq, AQKB believes the leaders of the Kurdistan Regional Government are traitors and has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks against Kurdish targets in Iraq, including a May 2007 attack in Erbil, Iraq, in which 19 people were killed when a vehicle loaded with explosives struck the Kurdish Ministries of the Interior and Security. In July 2007, AQKB killed seven border guards and one Patriotic Union of Kurdistan security force member in an ambush in Penjwan, Iraq. In September 2010, two police officers were injured during a foiled AQKB suicide bomb attack targeting security officers in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.

The designation under E.O. 13224 blocks all of AQKB’s property interests subject to U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with or for the benefit of AQKB. The actions taken against this organization demonstrate the United States’ resolve in eliminating AQKB’s ability to execute violent attacks.

US Department of State & OFAC Recent Actions

December 16, 2011 – Terrorist Designation of Basque Fatherland and Liberty Leader Jose Antonio Urruticoechea Bengoechea – The Department of State has designated Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) veteran Jose Antonio Urruticoechea Bengoechea (AKA Ternera) under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. As a result of this designation, all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which Jose Antonio Urruticoechea Bengoechea has any interest is blocked and any assets he may have under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen. U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him. This action will help stem the flow of financial and other assistance to this ETA leader.

Urruticoechea’s status as a long term ETA member and his engagement in terrorist activities such as murder, bombings, recruiting, training, and providing logistical support for a terrorist organization, constitute a threat to U.S. interests. Urruticoechea is wanted for terrorism and the murder of 11 people. He has played a decisive role in ETA’s terrorist activities for decades, both from prison, where he spent more than ten years, and for more than a decade as a fugitive from justice.

ETA, designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 1997, is responsible for killing more than 800 civilians, police, and military personnel, and injuring thousands since it formally began its campaign of violence in 1968. ETA has primarily used bombings and assassinations, targeting Spanish government officials, security and military forces, politicians, businessmen, judicial figures, journalists, and tourists. Between 2007 and 2010, more than 400 ETA members have been arrested. Since 2008, Spanish and French authorities have apprehended a number of ETA’s top leaders. These arrests have significantly reduced the group’s activities. US Department of State Press Release

December 16, 2011 – Terrorist Designation of Saleh al-Qarawi – The Department of State designated Saleh al-Qarawi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. Al-Qarawi al is a senior leader and operative for the Abdullah Azzam Brigades (AAB), a Lebanese militant organization. According to media reports, AAB claimed responsibility for the July 28, 2010 maritime bombing of a Japanese oil tanker, the M. Star. AAB has also claimed responsibility for firing several rockets into Israel from Lebanon since 2009. Prior to his activity with AAB, al-Qarawi fought against U.S. forces in Fallujah, Iraq. While there, he worked with now-deceased Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the former head of al-Qa’ida in Iraq.

Al-Qarawi is a Saudi citizen currently wanted for extradition by the Government of Saudi Arabia for participating in extremist activities abroad. He is also the subject of an Interpol Orange Notice issued on March 25, 2009, for activities related to terrorism.

The designation under E.O. 13224 blocks all of al-Qarawi’s property interests subject to U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with or for the benefit of al-Qarawi. The action taken against this individual demonstrates the United States’ resolve in eliminating AAB’s ability to execute violent attacks. The Department of State took these actions in consultation with the Departments of Justice and Treasury. US Department of State Press Release

November 01, 2011 – The Department of State has designated Haqqani Network Commander Mali Khan under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. As a result of the designation, all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which Mali Khan has any interest is blocked and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him. This action will help stem the flow of financial and other assistance to the Haqqani Network.

The Haqqani Network is a Taliban-affiliated group of militants that operates from North Waziristan Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. The Haqqani Network has been at the forefront of insurgent activity in Afghanistan, responsible for many high-profile attacks.

Acting as a Haqqani Network commander, Mali Khan has overseen hundreds of fighters, and has instructed his subordinates to conduct terrorist acts. Mali Khan has provided support and logistics to the Haqqani Network, and has been involved in the planning and execution of attacks in Afghanistan against civilians, coalition forces, and Afghan police. In June 2011, Mali Khan’s deputy provided support to the suicide bombers responsible for the attacks on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan. The attack resulted in the death of 12 people.

The designation under E.O. 13224 blocks all of Mali Khan’s property interests subject to U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with or for the benefit of Mali Khan. The actions taken against this individual demonstrate the United States’ resolve in eliminating the Haqqani Network’s ability to execute violent attacks. US Department of State

October 04, 2011 – Today, the Department of State designated Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri, also known as Abu Du’a, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. The consequences of this designation include a prohibition against knowingly providing material support or resources to, or engaging in other transactions with Abu Du’a, and the freezing of all property and interests in property of Abu Du’a that is in the United States, or comes within the United States or the control of U.S. persons. Today, the Department’s Rewards for Justice program is also offering a $10 million reward for information that leads to the location of Abu Du’a. Abu Du’a is the leader of al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI). AQI is listed as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), and was listed by the UNSCR 1267 Committee in 2004 US Department of State.

September 29, 2011 – The US on Thursday slapped sanctions on prominent Taliban financers and commanders of the Haqqani terror network, which is blamed by Washington of being linked to the Pakistani spy agency ISI. The individuals slapped sanctions are:

• Hajji Faizullah Noorzai, a prominent Taliban financer,
• Hajji Malik Noorzai (his brother);
• Abdur Rehman, a Taliban facilitator – also maintained ties with three additional designated terrorist organizations: Harakat ul-Jihad Islami (HUJI),Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM) and al-Akhtar Trust (AAT); and
• Fazal Rahim, a financer of al Qaeda.

The Department of Treasury named Abdul Aziz Abbasin as a key commander in the Haqqani Network who, as of early 2010, received orders from and was appointed by Sirajuddin Haqqani to serve as the Taliban shadow governor of Orgun District, Paktika Province, Afghanistan. “These financiers and facilitators provide the fuel for the Taliban, Haqqani Network and al Qaeda to realize their violent aspirations,” said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S Cohen. (source: ZeeNews.com) – OFAC Recent Actions

September 28, 2011 – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced the designation of two Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LET) leaders and founding members, Zafar Iqbal and Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224.

“Zafar Iqbal and Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi are two of LET’s most significant leaders,” said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen. “Over the past 20 years, Iqbal and Bhuttavi have been responsible for fundraising, recruitment, and indoctrination of operatives. By targeting the core of LET’s leadership, today’s action aims to degrade its ability to facilitate its terrorist activities.”

LET is a Pakistan-based terrorist group with links to the al-Qa’ida network and its former leader Usama bin Laden that is responsible for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks and July 2006 Mumbai train bombings. LET was designated by the U.S. pursuant to E.O. 13224 and named a Foreign Terrorist Organization in December 2001, and was added to the UN 1267/1989 list in May 2005.

Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JUD) was designated as an alias of LET under E.O. 13224 in April 2006 and was added to the UN 1267/1989 list as an alias of LET in December 2008.

As a result of today’s action, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with Zafar Iqbal and Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi and any assets they may have in the U.S. are frozen.

Zafar Iqbal Zafar Iqbal is a senior leader and co-founder of LET, has served in various LET/JUD senior leadership positions and was once considered LET/JUD’s second-in-command. As of late 2010, Iqbal was in charge of LET/JUD’s finance department. Zafar Iqbal has also been involved in LET/JUD fundraising activities. As of 2008, he was identified as LET/JUD’s chief of fundraising, and in 2010, Iqbal was overseeing the construction of an LET/JUD facility.

From 2003 to 2010, Iqbal was also the director of LET/JUD’s education department. In this capacity, Iqbal has been involved in recruiting activities on behalf of the group and has prepared the curricula for schools run by LET/JUD in Pakistan. As of 2010, Iqbal was a joint secretary of a university trust created by LET/JUD to carry out activities on behalf of the group.

Iqbal formed LET in the late 1980s with current LET/JUD emir Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, designated by the U.S. pursuant to E.O. 13224 in May 2008, and by the UN in December 2008. In 1989 or 1990, Iqbal traveled to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with LET/JUD emir Hafiz Muhammad Saeed to request financial support from Usama bin Laden.

Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi is a founding member of LET and deputy to LET/JUD emir Hafiz Muhammad Saeed. Bhuttavi has served as the acting emir of LET/JUD on at least two occasions, including when Saeed was detained in the days after the November 2008 Mumbai attack and held until June 2009. Bhuttavi handled the group’s day-to-day functions during this period.

Bhuttavi also helped prepare the operatives for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks by delivering lectures on the merits of martyrdom. Bhuttavi has issued fatwas authorizing LET/JUD’s militant operations, has instructed group leaders and members, and is responsible for LET/JUD’s madrassah network. In mid-2002, Bhuttavi was in charge of establishing an LET/JUD organizational base in Lahore, Pakistan. – OFAC Recent Actions

September 22, 2011 – Terrorist Designation of HAMAS Operative Muhammad Hisham Muhammad Isma’il Abu Ghazala – US Department of State Media Note

The State Department has designated Muhammad Hisham Muhammad Isma’il Abu Ghazala under E.O. 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. This action will help stem the flow of finances to Abu Ghazala by prohibiting U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with him and freezing any assets he may have under U.S. jurisdiction.

September 22, 2011 – Terrorist Designation of Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) Leader Jurdan Martitegui Lizaso – US Department of State Media Note

The Department of State has designated Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) leader Jurdan Martitegui Lizaso under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. As a result of this designation, all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which Jurdan Martitegui Lizaso has any interest is blocked and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him. This action will help stem the flow of financial and other assistance to this ETA leader.

September 15, 2011 – Terrorist Designations of the Indian Mujahideen – Today, the Secretary of State designated the Indian Mujahideen (IM) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. An India-based terrorist group with significant links to Pakistan, IM is responsible for dozens of bomb attacks throughout India since 2005, and has caused the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians. IM maintains close ties to other U.S.- designated terrorist entities including Pakistan-based Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) and Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HUJI). IM’s stated goal is to carry out terrorist actions against non-Muslims in furtherance of its ultimate objective – an Islamic Caliphate across South Asia. US Department of State Press Release

May 19, 2011 – US Office of the Coordinator for Counter-terrorism

Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) are foreign organizations that are designated by the US Secretary of State in accordance with section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended. FTO designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to get out of the terrorism business.

Current List of Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations

Name Abbreviation AKA Located Remarks Abdallah Azzam Brigades AAB Lebanon The Abdallah Azzam Brigades (AAB), a militant organization based in both Lebanon and the Arabian Peninsula, was formed in 2009. AAB is led by Saleh al-Qar’awi, who was designated by the Department of State under E.O. 13224. The Department of State also designated AAB’s bomb maker, Abu Jabal, under E.O. 13224 on November 22, 2011. Ansar al-Sharia AAS Alias for Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula Yemen AAS – which is based in Yemen and is a separate entity from Ansar al-Shari’a in Libya – was established to attract potential followers to shari’a rule in areas under the control of AQAP. However, AAS is simply AQAP’s effort to rebrand itself, with the aim of manipulating people to join AQAP’s terrorist cause. AAS has publicly stated that the particular brand of shari’a they hope to implement is the same as that espoused by the Afghan Taliban and the Islamic State of Iraq, a militant umbrella group and designated Foreign Terrorist Organization that includes al-Qa’ida in Iraq.

AAS has taken responsibility for multiple attacks against Yemeni forces. One such attack, which took place in May 2012, killed more than 100 Yemeni soldiers in a suicide bombing during a parade. In March 2012, a series of attacks and armed assaults by AAS in southern Yemen killed 100 people, many of whom were Yemeni soldiers. US Department of State Press Release

Ansar al-Dine AAD Mali Ansar al-Dine is an organization operating in Mali which cooperates closely with al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. AAD was created in late 2011 after AAD’s leader, Iyad ag Ghali, failed in an attempt to take over a secular Tuareg organization due to his extremist views. Ghali was designated by the Department of State under E.O. 13224 on February 26, 2013. US Department of State Press Release Abu Nidal Organization ANO Fatah Revolutionary Council, the Arab Revolutionary Brigades, or the Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Muslims Iraq & Lebanon Abu Nidal is a terrorist organization widely known for deadly attacks in the 1980s on Western, Palestinian, and Israeli targets. They were attempting to derail diplomatic relations between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the West, while advocating for the destruction of Israel. Abu Sayyaf Group ASG Philippines The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) is the most violent of the Islamic separatist groups operating in the southern Philippines and claims to promote an independent Islamic state in western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade AAMS Palestinian Territories The Palestinian group al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade evolved in recent years from a Fatah linked coalition of militias seeking an end to Israel’s presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip into a more radical organization. Emerging around the time of what Palestinians call the “Second Intifada” in 2000, the brigade at first targeted Israeli settlers and military outposts. But its decision to join Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad and target civilians in Israeli cities in 2002 prompted the U.S. State Department to list the brigade as a terrorist organization and led Washington to abandon efforts to deal with the Palestinian president, the late Yasir Arafat. Al-Shabaab Harakat Al-Shabaab al-Mujahidin, al-Shabab, Al-Shabaab, the Youth, Mujahidin al-Shabaab Movement, Mujahideen Youth Movement, Mujahidin Youth Movement Somalia Al-Shabaab is an Islamic organization that controls much of southern Somalia, excluding the capital, Mogadishu. It has waged an insurgency against Somalia’s transitional government and its Ethiopian supporters since 2006. Ansar al-Islam AAI Ansar al-Sunnah Iraq Ansar al-Islam (Supporters of Islam) is a militant Islamic Kurdish separatist movement seeking to transform Iraq into an Islamic state. Mullah Krekar, also known as Faraj Ahmad Najmuddin, reportedly founded Ansar al-Islam in December 2001 with funding and logistical support from al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. Asbat al-Ansar The Partisans League Lebanon Lebanon-based Sunni extremist group located primarily in the ‘Ayn al-Hilwah Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon in southern Lebanon. The group is led by Ahmad ‘Abd al-Karim al-Sa‘di, alias Abu Mihjin, who in 1991 assumed leadership when founder Hisham al-Shuraydi was assassinated. Aum Shinrikyo AUM Aleph, Aum Supreme Truth Japan Aum Shinrikyo, which is also known as Aum and Aleph, is a Japanese cult that combines tenets from Buddhism, Hinduism, and is obsessed with the apocalypse. The group made headlines around the world in 1995 when members carried out a chemical attack on the Tokyo subway system. A nerve agent, sarin, was released onto train cars, killing twelve and causing an estimated six thousand people to seek medical attention. Basque Fatherland and Liberty ETA Euskadi ta Askatasuna Spain ETA, one of Western Europe’s last terrorist groups, is rumored to be weakening as a split forms between those who call for violent resistance and those who advocate negotiation.

June 21, 2012 – Terrorist Designation of Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) Leader Aitzol Iriondo Yarza US Department of State Press Release

Boko Haram Nigeria June 21, 2012 – Terrorist Designations of Boko Haram Commander Abubakar Shekau, Khalid al-Barnawi and Abubakar Adam Kambar US Department of State

November 13, 2013 – Terrorist Designations of Boko Haram and Ansaru Department of State Press Release

Communist Party of the Philippines / New People’s Army CPP / NPA Philippines The Communist Party of the Philippines networks abroad have effectively influenced the activities of Insurgents in the Philippines. Continuity Irish Republican Army CIRA Northern Ireland The Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) is a radical terrorist group dedicated to removing British forces from Northern Ireland and unifying Ireland that has opposed calls for an IRA cease-fire. The Continuity IRA (which has attempted to drop the term “Continuity”) was formed in 1986 in opposition to Sein Fein’s decision to take part in elections in the Irish Free State and other British institutions in Northern Ireland. Gama’a al-Islamiyya Islamic Group or Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya Egypt Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya is Egypt’s largest militant group. At one point it had up to several thousand armed members. The organization is perhaps best known for killing 62 people, mostly foreigners, outside a tourist site in Luxor in 1997. The group’s spiritual leader, the blind cleric Sheikh Omar Abdel al-Rahman, was jailed in the United States for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. HAMAS Islamic Resistance Movement or Harakat Al-Muqawama Al-Islamia Palestinian Territories A radical Islamic fundamentalist organization which became active in the early stages of the intifada, operating primarily in the Gaza District but also in Judea and Samaria. Formed in late 1987 as an outgrowth of the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Various HAMAS elements have used both political and violent means, including terrorism, to pursue the goal of establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in place of Israel. Loosely structured, with some elements working clandestinely and others working openly through mosques and social service institutions to recruit members, raise money, organize activities, and distribute propaganda. In a January 2006 election, Hamas won a majority of seats in the Palestinian legislature Haqqani Network HQN Not aka but related to Harakat ul-Jihad Islami (HUJI), Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM) and al-Akhtar Trust (AAT) – Linked to Al-Qaida, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar I Jhangvi, and Jaish-IMohammed. Afghanistan & Pakistan Centered in the city of Khost – Afghanistan – The followers of popular warlord Jalaluddin Haqqani continue to resist extension of the Karzai government’s authority into their border region. In the 1980s Jalaluddin Haqqani fought as a mujahedin leader against Soviet forces, receiving substantial assistance from the CIA by way of Pakistan’s ISI. One of Hekmatyar’s most effective former commanders, Jalaluddin Haqqani, later joined the Taliban and became its minister for tribal affairs. Though he had joined the Taliban, he joined the government as a Minister but retained a separate power base in his home Zadran district and tribe, east of Kabul.

Nov 01, 2011 – Designation of Haqqani Network Commander Mali Khan September 07, 2012 – Designation of Haqqani Organization

Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami Bangladesh HUJI-B Bangladesh The goal of HUJI-B is to establish Islamic rule in Bangladesh. The group’s core membership consists primarily of Bangladeshi veterans of fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan. The Bangladeshi Government arrested a senior HUJI-B leader, Mufti Abdul Hannan. HUJI-B has connections to the Pakistani militant groups Harakat ul-Jihad-I-Islami (HUJI) and Harakat ul-Mujahedin (HUM), which advocate similar objectives in Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir. The leaders of HUJI-B and HUM both signed the February 1998 fatwa sponsored by Usama bin Ladin that declared American civilians to be legitimate targets for attack. Harakat ul-Mujahidin HUM Pakistan The HUM is an Islamic militant group based in Pakistan that operates primarily in Kashmir. It is politically aligned with the radical political party, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazlur Rehman faction (JUI-F). Longtime leader of the group, Fazlur Rehman Khalil, in mid-February 2000 stepped down as HUM emir, turning the reins over to the popular Kashmiri commander and his second in command, Farooq Kashmiri. Khalil, who has been linked to Usama Bin Ladin and signed his fatwa in February 1998 calling for attacks on US and Western interests, assumed the position of HUM Secretary General. HUM operated terrorist training camps in eastern Afghanistan until Coalition airstrikes destroyed them during fall 2001. In 2003, HUM began using the name Jamiat ul-Ansar (JUA), and Pakistan banned the successor JUA in November 2003. Hezbollah Hizbollah, Hizbu’llah, Hizballah Party of God Lebanon Hezbollah is a Shiite Muslim political group with a militant wing the United States defines as a terrorist organization. The group, which is active in Lebanon, is a major provider of social services, operating schools, hospitals, and agricultural services for thousands of Lebanese Shiites. Hezbollah’s political standing was bolstered after a wave of violence in May 2008 prompted Lebanon’s lawmakers to compromise with the group. Indian Mujahideen IM INDIAN MUJAHEDEEN; INDIAN MUJAHIDIN; ISLAMIC SECURITY FORCE-INDIAN MUJAHIDEEN (ISF-IM) India & Pakistan IM maintains close ties to other US- designated terrorist entities including Pakistan-based Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) and Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HUJI). IM’s stated goal is to carry out terrorist actions against non-Muslims in furtherance of its ultimate objective – an Islamic Caliphate across South Asia. Islamic Jihad Union IJU al-Djihad al-Islami, Dzhamaat Modzhakhedov, Islamic Jihad Group of Uzbekistan, linked with IMU (below) Uzbekistan The Islamic Jihad Unionis an extremist organization that splintered from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in the early 2000s. It adheres to an anti-Western ideology, opposes secular rule in Uzbekistan, and seeks to replace the current regime with a government based on Islamic law. The group first conducted attacks in April 2004. Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan IMU subgroup is Jundallah Media, linked with IJU (above) Uzbekistan The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan has been listed in the United Nations 1267 Committee’s consolidated list and as a proscribed terrorist organization by the governments of the UK, US, and Canada. The IMU’s initial objective was to overthrow the Uzbek regime and replace it with an Islamic state. Uzbekistan is part of what its Russian conquerors called Turkestan, a collective name for the old Central Asian feudal states. The IMU’s stated goal now is to establish an Islamic caliphate in Turkestan, stretching from the Caspian Sea to China’s Xinjiang Province and encompassing the current Central Asian nations (Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Tajik). – Jan 26, 2012 – Deparment of State designated Yassin Chouka, Monir Chouka and Mevlut Kar as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. The consequences of these designations include a prohibition against engaging in transactions with these individuals, and the freezing of all property and interests in property that is in the United States, or comes within the United States or the control of U.S. persons. The Chouka brothers and Kar were also listed at the UN 1267/1989 Committee for their links to al-Qaida. Brothers Yassin and Monir Chouka are fighters, recruiters, facilitators and propagandists for the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Mevlut Kar is a facilitator and recruiter for the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) which is, like the IMU, a designated FTO. Jaish-e-Mohammed JEM Army of Mohammed Pakistan The Jaish-e-Mohammed is an Islamic extremist group based in Pakistan that was formed by Masood Azhar upon his release from prison in India in early 2000. The group’s aim is to unite Kashmir with Pakistan. It is politically aligned with the radical political party, Jamiat-i Ulema-i Islam Fazlur Rehman faction (JUI-F). The United States announced the addition of JEM to the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control’s (OFAC) list–which includes organizations that are believed to support terrorist groups and have assets in US jurisdiction that can be frozen or controlled–in October and the Foreign Terrorist Organization list in December 2001. Jemaah Islamiya JI Jemaah Islamiah Indonesia Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) is a militant Islamist group active in several Southeast Asian countries that seeks to establish a pan-Islamic state across much of the region. Jemaah Islamiyah (“Islamic Organization” in Arabic) is alleged to have attacked or plotted against U.S. and Western targets in Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. JI’s most notorious attack occurred in 2002 when three bombs were detonated on the Indonesian island of Bali, a beachfront city and international tourist destination. The most recent attack believed to have been carried out by JI operatives came on October 1, 2005, when a series of suicide bombings killed twenty people and wounded 129 in Bali. After the 2002 Bali attack, the United States-which suspects the group of having ties to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network-designated Jemaah Islamiyah a foreign terrorist organization. – August 16, 2011 – OFAC Treasury Sanctions Three Senior Members of the Jemaah Islamiya Terrorist Network – Umar Patek, Abdul Rahim Ba’asyir (Abdul Rahim) & Muhammad Jibril Abdul Rahman (Jibril) – OFAC Press Center Jemmah Anshorut Tauhid JAT Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid Indonesia Jama’ah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT), led by Indonesia’s best-known radical cleric Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, has been an enigma since its founding in 2008. An ostensibly above-ground organisation, it has embraced individuals with known ties to fugitive extremists. It has welcomed many members of the militant Jema’ah Islamiyah (JI) but clashed with the JI leadership over strategy and tactics. It preaches jihad against Islam’s enemies but insists it stays within the law – though it rejects man-made laws as illegitimate. It is a mass membership organisation but wholly dependent on Ba’asyir (Source: Int. Crisis Group) US State Department Press Release Kahane Chai Kach Kach Israel Kach is a hard-line Israeli militant group that advocates for the expulsion of Arabs from the biblical lands of Israel. The U.S. State Department listed it as a terrorist organization in 1994. Kach, as well as the splinter group Kahane Chai, condones violence as a viable method for establishing a religiously homogenous state. The group has not staged a large terrorist attack since 1994, although people affiliated with the groups have been arrested for “low-level attacks” since 2000, according to the State Department’s 2006 Country Report. In 2006 a U.S. Federal Court upheld that Kach was rightly listed as a terrorist organization in an appeal. Kata’ib Hizballah KH Iraq Radical Shia Islamist group with an anti-Western establishment and jihadist ideology that has conducted attacks against Iraqi, U.S. and Coalition targets in Iraq. KH has ideological ties to Lebanese Hizballah and may have received support from that group. KH gained notoriety in 2007 with attacks on U.S. and Coalition forces designed to undermine the establishment of a democratic, viable Iraqi state. KH has been responsible for numerous violent terrorist attacks since 2007, including improvised explosive device bombings, rocket propelled grenade attacks and sniper operations. In addition, KH has threatened the lives of Iraqi politicians and civilians that support the legitimate political process in Iraq. Kongra-Gel KGK Kurdistan Workers’ Party, PKK, KADEK Turkey Established in 1974 as a Marxist-Leninist insurgent group primarily composed of Turkish Kurds, by the late 1990s the PKK had moved beyond rural-based insurgent activities to include urban terrorism. The PKK sought to set up an independent Kurdish state in southeastern Turkey, where there is a predominantly Kurdish population. Geography, politics and history have conspired to render 30 million Kurds the largest stateless people in the Middle East. Feb 01, 2012 – Zeyneddin Geleri has been identified as a high ranking member of the PKK, and a member of a Romania-based drug trafficking organization utilizing import and export companies for illicit activities across Europe. Geleri is also suspected of complicity with PKK activist Cerkez Akbulut, also known as Cernit Murat, who was the target of a March 2008 seizure of 199 kilograms of heroin worth approximately $8.8 million by Moldovan police. Akbulut is a PKK activist in Moldova responsible for the collection of funds in support of the group. Omer Boztepe acts for the PKK and is currently a fugitive from Moldovan authorities after being sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for narcotics trafficking activities. Lashkar-e Tayyiba LT aka JUD Army of the Righteous, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Al Mansooreen, Army of the Pure, Army of the Righteous, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JUD), Pasban-e-Ahle-Hadith, Pasban-e-Kashmir, Idara Khidmat-e-Khalq Pakistan Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (Soldiers of the Pure) is one of the most feared groups fighting against Indian control in Kashmir and is blamed for several deadly attacks on Indian soil. Most recently, India has blamed the militant outfit for the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai which killed 174 people, including nine gunmen, and soured ties between India and Pakistan.

Augustus 30, 2012 – Anti-Terrorism Designations (SDGT) – US designates eight Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders as terrorists, places sanctions – The US Treasury Department has designated eight leaders of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as terrorists and placed sanctions on them, holding them accountable for the Mumbai attacks in 2008, and attacks on coalition and Afghan forces in Afghanistan.

Lashkar i Jhangvi LJ LIJ Pakistan LIJ formed in 1996 as an offshoot of the sectarian radical group Sipah-e-Sahaba (the Army of Mohamed’s companions) Pakistan (SSP). Lashkar I Jhangvi (LIJ) is a Sunni-Deobandi Muslim extremist group based primarily in the Punjab region of Pakistan and the port city of Karachi. It has confirmed links with al Qaeda and has assisted in several high-profile attacks on Westerners in Pakistan, including the January 2002 kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. LIJ banded with two other Sunni extremist groups and, together, they are said to form the Pakistani wing of al Qaeda. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE Tamil Tigers or Sri Lanka, separatists or EELAM Sri Lanka The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as the Tamil Tigers, are a separatist group in Sri Lanka. Since the 1980s, the LTTE have been agitating for a homeland for ethnic Tamils, who feel persecuted by Sri Lanka’s ethnic majority, the Sinhalese. The LTTE is notorious for having pioneered the suicide bomb jacket, as well as the use of women in suicide attacks. They are blamed for a dozen high-level assassinations, over two hundred suicide attacks, and its war against the government has cost more than seventy thousand lives. In May 2009, the Sri Lankan government declared the twenty-six year long conflict had ended. The military claimed it had defeated the rebels and killed the LTTE’s elusive leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran. The group conceded defeat and in a statement said it had decided to lay down its arms. Libyan Islamic Fighting Group LIFG Libya The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group is a band of radical Islamists dedicated to overthrowing the regime of Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi and replacing it with a government modeled on Sharia law, with special attention to the Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad. The LIFG believes that the Gadhafi regime is oppressive, corrupt and apostate. Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group GICM Groupe Islamique Combattant Marocain Morocco The goals of the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group include establishing an Islamic state in Morocco and supporting al-Qaida’s jihad against the West. The group appears to have emerged in the late 1990s and comprises Moroccan recruits who trained in armed camps in Afghanistan. GICM members interact with other North African extremists, particularly in Europe. On 22 November 2002, the United States designated the GICM for asset freeze under E.O. 13224. This followed the submission of the GICM to the UNSCR 1267 sanctions committee. Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization MEK People’s Mujahedin of Iran or PMOI Iraq & Iran The US State Department lists the Mujahadeen-e-Khalq as a terrorist organization for its association with Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi regime until the dictator’s ouster by the US-led invasion in 2003. The MEK was blamed for Western targets in the 1970s and for supporting the 1979 American embassy takeover in Tehran. Over the last two decades, however, the group’s continued presence on the US terrorist group list primarily involves its activities directed from Iraqi territory against Iran. After the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, the MEK was disarmed and confined by American forces to the grounds of a former Iraqi military base. Still State Department reports says that MEK maintains “the capacity and will” to attack “Europe, the Middle East, the United States, Canada, and beyond.”

Delisted: September 28, 2012 – US Department of State Press Release & & OFAC Resource Center

National Liberation Army ELN Colombia Marxist insurgent group formed in 1965 by urban intellectuals inspired by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. In October 2003, the Colombian Government released top ELN leader Felipe Torres from prison, hoping to spur the ELN to accept government demands to declare a cease-fire and come back to the negotiating table, but by year’s end peace talks had not commenced. Activities are kidnapping, hijacking, bombing, and extortion. Annually conducts hundreds of kidnappings for ransom, often targeting foreign employees of large corporations, especially in the petroleum industry. Derives some revenue from taxation of the illegal narcotics industry. Frequently assaults energy infrastructure and has inflicted major damage on pipelines and the electric distribution network. Palestine Liberation Front PLF Lebanon The Palestinian Liberation Front was founded by Muhammad Zaidan (better known as Abu Abbas) and Talat Yaakub in 1977 when they split from the PFLP – GC over its support for Syria in the Lebanese civil war. The group, led by Abu Abbas until he died in captivity in 2003, is best known to Americans for its 1985 hijacking of the Achille Lauro cruise ship, during which the hijackers killed wheelchair-bound Jewish passenger Leon Klinghoffer. In the late 1980s Abbas folded the group into the Palestine Liberation Organization after being elected to the PLO’s executive committee. He renounced violence after the Oslo Accords, but with the onset of the second Palestinian intifada resumed terrorist activity – including the murder of an Israeli teenager and an attempted bombing of a bus near Haifa. While partly funded by the Palestinian Authority, the group’s major benefactor was Saddam Hussein; the Iraqi dictator sheltered Abbas in Baghdad following the Achille Lauro incident and provided the group with military training and logistical and financial aid. The PLF continues to operate cells in the West Bank and Gaza, but Israeli raids and the death of Abbas have significantly eroded its strength. Palestinian Islamic Jihad PIJ Lebanon Islamic, Palestinian nationalist organization that violently opposes the existence of Israel. Designated as a US State Department terrorist organization in 1997, the PIJ targets Israeli civilian and military personnel in its commitment to the creation of an Islamic regime in “all of historic Palestine,” according to the State Department’s 2006 Country Report on terrorism. The PIJ, unlike Fatah or Hamas, does not participate in the political process. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine PFLP Lebanon Marxist-Leninist group founded in 1967 by George Habash as a member of the PLO when it broke away from the Arab Nationalist Movement. The PFLP does not view the Palestinian struggle as a religious one, seeing it instead as a broader revolution against Western imperialism. The group earned a reputation for spectacular international attacks, including airline hijackings that have killed at least 20 US citizens. The PFLP is opposed to the Oslo process. Committed numerous international terrorist attacks during the 1970s. Since 1978 has conducted attacks against Israeli or moderate Arab targets, including killing a settler and her son in December 1996. The PFLP has stepped up its operational activity since the start of the current intifadh highlighted by its assassination of the Israeli Tourism Minster in October 2001 to avenge Israel’s killing of the PFLP Secretary General earlier that year. PFLP-General Command PFLP-GC Lebanon The PFLP-GC split from the PFLP in 1968, claiming it wanted to focus more on fighting and less on politics. Originally, the group was violently opposed to the Arafat-led PLO. Ahmad Jibril, a former captain in the Syrian Army whose son Jihad was killed by a car bomb in May 2002, has led the PFLP-GC since its founding. The PFLP-GC is closely tied to both Syria and Iran. The PFLP-GC carried out dozens of attacks in Europe and the Middle East during the 1970s and 1980s. The organization was known for cross-border terrorist attacks into Israel using unusual means, such as hot-air balloons and motorized hang gliders. The group’s primary focus now is on guerrilla operations in southern Lebanon, training of other Palestinian terrorist groups, and small-scale attacks in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. Ahmad Jibril denied accusations made in a United Nations investigation that PFLP-GC members were involved in the February assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri. al-Qaida in Iraq AQI al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia Iraq Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), a jihadist group of predominantly Sunni fighters that rose to prominence in the ashes of the U.S.-led invasion to oust Saddam Hussein, has been singled out as a central threat to international efforts to pacify and stabilize Iraq. Pentagon officials have publicly linked the militant group with the most high-profile terrorist strikes and suicide bombings in Iraq. October 04, 2011 – Terrorist Designation of Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri or Abu Du’a. Abu Du’a is the leader of al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI). AQI is listed as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), and was listed by the UNSCR 1267 Committee in 2004 al-Qa’ida AQ al-Qaeda or al-Qaida Afghanistan Al-Qaeda, an international terrorist network, is considered the top terrorist threat to the United States. The group is wanted for its September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, as well as a host of lesser attacks. To escape the post-9/11 U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, al-Qaeda’s central leadership fled eastward into Pakistan, securing a safe haven in loosely governed areas there. In July 2007, U.S. intelligence agencies found that the organization was regrouping and regaining strength in these tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan, though targeted killings of senior al-Qaeda leaders have since diminished the group’s command and control capabilities. In February 2009, Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair told lawmakers that the group’s core “is less capable and effective than it was a year ago.” The killing of al-Qaeda’s top leader Osama bin Laden by U.S. forces in Pakistan in May 2011 served a significant blow to the organization, but analysts say al-Qaeda remains deadly with its networks spread all over the world. Plus, a number of affiliated groups have gained prominence in recent years, complicating the task of containing the organization. al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula AQAP al-Qa‘ida in Yemen (AQY) Yemen Yemen-based al-Qa‘ida in the Arabian Peninsula since 2009 has orchestrated high-profile attacks and expanded its activities outside of Yemen, most notably by sending Nigerian-born Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who attempted to detonate an explosive device aboard a Northwest Airlines flight on 25 December 2009—to engage in the first US homeland attack by an al-Qa‘ida affiliate since 11 September 2001. Dual US-Yemeni citizen and radical ideologue Anwar al-Aulaqi is a known leader of AQAP. Al-Aulaqi has been named a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the United States Government. AQAP emerged in January 2009 following an announcement that unified Yemeni and Saudi operatives under a common banner and signaled the group’s intention to serve as a hub for regional operations targeting local government and Western interests both in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The group is now pursuing a global strategy. The leadership of this new organization was composed of the group’s amir Nasir al-Wahishi, deputy amir Sa‘id al-Shahri, and military commander Qasim al-Rimi, all veteran extremist leaders. al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb AQIM Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) Algeria Terrorist activity in North Africa has been reinvigorated in the last few years by a local Algerian Islamist group turned pan-Maghreb jihadi organization: al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). A Sunni group that previously called itself the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), the organization has taken responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks in the region, declared its intention to attack Western targets, and sent a squad of jihadis to Iraq. Experts believe these actions suggest widening ambitions within the group’s leadership, now pursuing a more global, sophisticated, and better-financed direction. Long categorized as part of a strictly domestic insurgency against Algeria’s military government, AQIM claims to be the local franchise operation for al-Qaeda, a worrying development for a region that has been relatively peaceful since the bloody Algerian civil war of the 1990s drew to a close. European officials are taking AQIM’s international threats seriously and are worried about the growing number of Europe-based cells, stated by Europol. al-Qaida Kurdish Battalions AQKB Iraq & Iran Established in 2007 from the remnants of other Kurdish terrorist organizations, AQKB has sworn allegiance publicly to other terrorist groups, including al-Qaida and al-Qaida in Iraq. Operating along the border between Iran and Iraq, AQKB believes the leaders of the Kurdistan Regional Government are traitors and has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks against Kurdish targets in Iraq, including a May 2007 attack in Erbil, Iraq, in which 19 people were killed when a vehicle loaded with explosives struck the Kurdish Ministries of the Interior and Security. Real IRA RIRA NIRA Northern Ireland The New Irish Republican Army (NIRA), also known as the Real IRA, is a radical terrorist group that split from the Provisional IRA. It is one of two remaining groups sworn to continue the violence against the British in Northern Ireland. The policies of Sinn fein under the leadership Gerry Adams from 1994 to 1998 led to a split in the Provisional Irish Republican Army during the fall of 1997, with one faction accepting the new Good Friday Agreement, and the New or Real IRA continuing armed resistance to British partition. This movement dedicated to removing British forces from Northern Ireland and unifying Ireland is organized into small, tightly knit cells. Following the split from the Provos, it has begun working with the Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) and the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA).

Like the Continuity IRA, the Real IRA (RIRA) did not participate in the September 2005 weapons decommissioning. RIRA was formed in 1997 as the clandestine armed wing of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement, a “political pressure group” dedicated to removing British forces from Northern Ireland and unifying Ireland. RIRA also seeks to disrupt the Northern Ireland peace process. The 32 County Sovereignty Movement opposed Sinn Fein’s September 1997 adoption of the Mitchell principles of democracy and non-violence; it also opposed the amendment in December 1999 of Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish Constitution that laid claim to Northern Ireland. Despite internal rifts and calls by some jailed members, including the group’s founder Michael “Mickey” McKevitt, for a cease-fire and disbandment, RIRA pledged additional violence and continued to conduct attacks.

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia FARC or AUC Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarios de Colombia or United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia Colombia Colombia, one of the closest U.S. allies in Latin America, has been ravaged for decades by a civil war pitting left-wing guerrilla groups against right-wing paramilitary organizations. The two predominant rebel groups–the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (known by its Spanish acronym, FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN)–are included on the U.S. State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations. Under Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who took office in 2002 and has been boosted by large inflows of U.S. funding, both groups have been depleted in numbers and resources. Yet peace talks between each group and the government remain dogged by difficulties. Allegations in March 2008 and August 2009 by the Colombian government that the FARC is receiving support from the Venezuelan government have further complicated prospects for peace. Revolutionary Organization 17 November 17N or RS Revolutionary Struggle Greece A radical, leftist Greek terrorist group, also known as 17 N or N 17, with a tiny membership and a loathing for America, the West, and capitalism. Most anti-terrorism experts think the organization has no more than twenty-five members—many of them related to one another, which may explain why the group was able to operate secretly and securely for almost three decades. But in July 2002, amid mounting pressure to track down terrorists before the 2004 Olympics, Greek authorities made a major breakthrough and began arresting November 17 members. In December 2003, Greek courts dealt November 17 a crippling blow as fifteen members of the group were convicted of various crimes including homicide; the leader of the group and several key operatives were given multiple life sentences. Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front DHKP/C or RPLP/F Devrimci Sol or Dev Sol, meaning “Revolutionary Way” Turkey Originally established in 1978 as Devrimci Sol the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (RPLP/F) grew as a splinter faction of the extremist Turkish People’s Liberation Party. It started off as a national political organization but turned into a formidable regional group of terror. Notwithstanding its small size and limited geographic activities, Dev Sol continues to pose a terrorist threat to American interests and assets abroad.

July 24, 2013 – Terrorist Designation of Bulut Yayla and the Foreign Terrorist Organization Review of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C)

The U.S. Department of State has designated Bulut Yayla under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. As a result of this designation, all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction, in which Yayla has any interest is blocked and any assets he may have under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen. US Department of State Press Release

Shining Path SL Sendero Luminoso or Tupac Amaru (Peru, leftists) Peru The two main Peruvian rebel groups, both leftist, are the Maoist group Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) and the Cuban-inspired Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (Movimiento Revolucionario Tupac Amaru). Both organizations operated most forcefully in the 1980s and early 1990s, when Peru’s government fought a costly war against both insurgencies, but disproportionately the Shining Path. The U.S. State Department identifies Shining Path as a terrorist organization, but Tupac Amaru hasn’t been listed as such since 1999. Shining Path had a period of dormancy in the 1990s, but the organization has since resurged, along with the Peruvian cocaine trade. Analysts say the group is small in numbers, but it could gain support in rural areas that have been neglected by the Peruvian government. Harakat-ul Jihad Islami HUJI Pakistan HUJI, a Sunni extremist group that follows the Deobandi tradition of Islam, was founded in 1980 in Afghanistan to fight in the jihad against the Soviets. It also is affliated with the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazlur Rehman Jalili faction (JUI-F) and the Deobandi school of Sunni Islam. The group, led by Qari Saifullah Akhtar and chief commander Amin Rabbani, is made up primarily of Pakistanis and foreign Islamists who are fighting for the liberation of Jammu and Kashmir and its accession to Pakistan. Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan TTP Pakistan Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is an alliance of militant groups in Pakistan, formed in 2007 to prevent the military from dividing and conquering the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. TTP leaders also hope to impose a strict interpretation of Qur‘anic instruction throughout Pakistan and to expel Coalition troops from Afghanistan. Islamabad has blamed TTP for most attacks within Pakistan, including the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in December 2007. In 2010, TTP likely was responsible for at least two mass-casualty operations: a suicide attack at a political rally that killed 45 and assaults against two religious centers that killed 95. TTP also targets US interests within Pakistan, claiming responsibility for arson attacks against NATO supply convoys in December 2008, a bomb blast in the northwest that killed US soldiers in February 2010, and an assault against the US Consulate in Peshawar in April 2010 Jundallah Iran Since its inception in 2003, Jundallah has engaged in numerous attacks resulting in the death and maiming of scores of Iranian civilians and government officials, primarily in Iran’s Sistan va Balochistan province. Jundallah uses a variety of terrorist tactics, including suicide bombings, ambushes, kidnappings and targeted assassinations. In May 2009, Jundallah attacked the crowded Shiite Amir al-Mo’menin mosque in Zahedan, destroying the mosque and killing and wounding numerous worshipers. An October 2009 bomb attack which killed more than 40 people was reportedly the deadliest terrorist attack in Iran since the 1980s. Following the February 2010 capture by Iranian authorities of Jundallah’s ex-leader, Abdul Malik Rigi, the group selected a new leader, al-Hajj Mohammed Dhahir Baluch, and confirmed its commitment to continue its terrorist activities. In July 2010, Jundallah attacked the Grand Mosque in Zahedan, killing approximately 30 and injuring hundreds. Army of Islam AOI Palestinian Territories The group is led by Mumtaz Dughmush and operates primarily in the Gaza Strip and Palestinian territories. It subscribes to a Salafist ideology of global jihad together with the traditional model of armed Palestinian resistance. AOI has previously worked with Hamas and is attempting to develop closer al-Qa’ida contacts. On May 7 the group released a eulogy for Osama bin Laden via its Al Nur Media Foundation – August 16, 2011 – US Designation of Army of Islam Leader Mumtaz Dughmush – US Department of State Press Release

Identification

The Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism in the State Department (S/CT) continually monitors the activities of terrorist groups active around the world to identify potential targets for designation. When reviewing potential targets, S/CT looks not only at the actual terrorist attacks that a group has carried out, but also at whether the group has engaged in planning and preparations for possible future acts of terrorism or retains the capability and intent to carry out such acts.

Designation

Once a target is identified, S/CT prepares a detailed “administrative record,” which is a compilation of information, typically including both classified and open sources information, demonstrating that the statutory criteria for designation have been satisfied. If the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, decides to make the designation, Congress is notified of the Secretary’s intent to designate the organization and given seven days to review the designation, as the INA requires. Upon the expiration of the seven-day waiting period and in the absence of Congressional action to block the designation, notice of the designation is published in the Federal Register, at which point the designation takes effect. By law an organization designated as an FTO may seek judicial review of the designation in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit not later than 30 days after the designation is published in the Federal Register.

Until recently the INA provided that FTOs must be redesignated every 2 years or the designation would lapse. Under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA), however, the redesignation requirement was replaced by certain review and revocation procedures. IRTPA provides that an FTO may file a petition for revocation 2 years after its designation date (or in the case of redesignated FTOs, its most recent redesignation date) or 2 years after the determination date on its most recent petition for revocation. In order to provide a basis for revocation, the petitioning FTO must provide evidence that the circumstances forming the basis for the designation are sufficiently different as to warrant revocation. If no such review has been conducted during a 5 year period with respect to a designation, then the Secretary of State is required to review the designation to determine whether revocation would be appropriate. In addition, the Secretary of State may at any time revoke a designation upon a finding that the circumstances forming the basis for the designation have changed in such a manner as to warrant revocation, or that the national security of the United States warrants a revocation. The same procedural requirements apply to revocations made by the Secretary of State as apply to designations. A designation may be revoked by an Act of Congress, or set aside by a Court order.

Legal Criteria for Designation under Section 219 of the INA as amended

1. It must be a foreign organization.
2. The organization must engage in terrorist activity, as defined in section 212 (a)(3)(B) of the INA (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B)),* or terrorism, as defined in section 140(d)(2) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. § 2656f(d)(2)),** or retain the capability and intent to engage in terrorist activity or terrorism.
3. The organization’s terrorist activity or terrorism must threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security (national defense, foreign relations, or the economic interests) of the United States.

Legal Ramifications of Designation

1. It is unlawful for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to a designated FTO. (The term “material support or resources” is defined in 18 U.S.C. § 2339A(b)(1) as ” any property, tangible or intangible, or service, including currency or monetary instruments or financial securities, financial services, lodging, training, expert advice or assistance, safehouses, false documentation or identification, communications equipment, facilities, weapons, lethal substances, explosives, personnel (1 or more individuals who maybe or include oneself), and transportation, except medicine or religious materials.” 18 U.S.C. § 2339A(b)(2) provides that for these purposes “the term ‘training’ means instruction or teaching designed to impart a specific skill, as opposed to general knowledge.” 18 U.S.C. § 2339A(b)(3) further provides that for these purposes the term ‘expert advice or assistance’ means advice or assistance derived from scientific, technical or other specialized knowledge.’’
2. Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances, removable from the United States (see 8 U.S.C. §§ 1182 (a)(3)(B)(i)(IV)-(V), 1227 (a)(1)(A)).
3. Any U.S. financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which a designated FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Other Effects of Designation

1. Supports our efforts to curb terrorism financing and to encourage other nations to do the same.
2. Stigmatizes and isolates designated terrorist organizations internationally.
3. Deters donations or contributions to and economic transactions with named organizations.
4. Heightens public awareness and knowledge of terrorist organizations.
5. Signals to other governments our concern about named organizations.

Pages in category “FTO Warning List”

The following 30 pages are in this category, out of 30 total.

A

• Afghanistan
• Algeria

B

• Bangladesh

C

• Colombia

E

• Egypt

F

• FTO

G

• Greece

I

• India
• Indonesia
• Iran

I cont.

• Iran-US
• Iraq
• Israel

J

• Japan

L

• Lebanon
• Libya

M

• Mali
• Morocco

N

• Northern Ireland

P

• Pakistan

P cont.

• Palestinian Territories
• Peru
• Philippines

S

• Somalia
• Spain
• Sri Lanka

T

• Terrorism and terrorist financing
• Turkey

U

• Uzbekistan

Y

• Yemen

Retrieved from “http://sanctionswiki.org/Category:FTO_Warning_List”