U.S. bars its citizens from making donations to Pak groups

Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington, Jul 3 (PTI) The Bush administration has
accused two already blacklisted Pakistan-based groups of
operating under "new aliases" and barred all Americans from
doing business with the groups.

The Treasury Department has identified numerous alleged
aliases for Al Rashid Trust and Al-Akhtar Trust International,
groups which were formerly associated with assisting the
al-Qaeda.

The designation means any assets found in the United
States are frozen and Americans are barred from making
donations or otherwise doing business with the groups.

"We are very concerned about designated entities
reconstituting themselves under new names in attempts to
circumvent sanctions and continue funneling money to terrorist
activities," Adam J. Szubin, Director of the Office of Foreign
Assets Control (OFAC) of the Department of Treasury said.

"OFAC will continue to put the public on notice when we
find that a designated entity is trying to operate under the
cloak of a new alias," he added.

According to the Treasury Department, the Al Rashid Trust
has different aliases like the Al Amin Welfare Trust, the Al
Amin Trust; Al Ameen Trust; and the Al Madina Trust.

Al Rashid Trust was designated on September 23, 2001, in
the Annex to Executive Order 13224 and was added to the U.N.
1267 Committee's List of individuals and entities associated
with Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda or the Taliban on April 24,
2002. As of mid-2007, it was operating under the name Al Amin
Welfare Trust and the other "also known as".

The Al Akhtar Trust International went by aliases like
Pakistan Relief Foundation; Azmat-e-Pakistan Trust and Azmat
Pakistan Trust.

The Al-Akhtar Trust International was designated on
October 14, 2003, and was added to the UN 1267 Committee's
List on August 17, 2005. As of July 2007, it was using the
alternate names.

"As of May 2007, Pakistan Relief Foundation had taken
over all assets of Al-Akhtar Trust and Al-Akhtar Trust's
senior leaders had begun working on behalf of Pakistan Relief
Foundation," it said.

"Al Rashid Trust, Al-Akhtar Trust International, and the
AKAs named yesterday are designated under Executive Order
13224, which targets terrorists, those owned or controlled by
or acting for or on behalf of terrorists, and those providing
financial, technological, or material support to terrorists or
acts of terrorism.

"Assets of these designees held under U.S. jurisdiction
are frozen and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in
transactions in property or interests in property blocked
under the order," the federal department has said.