U.S. Moves to Freeze Saudi Group's Assets

[ECH1969]

The United States moved Thursday to freeze the financial assets of a London-based Saudi opposition group because of its alleged links to the al-Qaida terrorist network.

The Treasury Department's action is against the Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia, or MIRA. Any bank accounts or other financial assets belonging to the organization found in the United States must be frozen and Americans are forbidden from providing financial or other support to the group.

The department said the group's Web site has included messages from bin Laden as well as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qaida's top operative in Iraq. Statements on the Web site "are intended to provide ideological and operational support to al-Qaida affiliated networks and potential recruits," the department said.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/07/14/national/w073321D50.DTL

[ismnotwasm]

1. And exactly what is this supposed to accomplish?

Not a financial wizard here, but I doubt all their financial eggs are in one basket. I guess the government feels they need to do something. Maybe it helps, I don't know. It just seems that pandora's box is open, and there is no closing it now.

[mom cat]

3. I wonder how much money is under US jurisdiction. I thought that

it would have been all moves by now.

[krkaufman]

2. It's not the Saudi *opposition* groups that are the problem

The terrorists, I'm sure, are getting a majority of their funding from the royal hierarchy -- since they're the ones with the money.

[KansDem]

4. How about freezing the Saudi family's assets?

After all, 15 of the 19 highjackers on 9/11 carried Saudi passports. One might think this is proof that Saudi Arabia, who's government has been declared as "sponsoring terrorism," was behind the attacks.

Couldn't be because the Bush Family and the Bin Laden Family are pals, could it? Couldn't be because Bush let Bin Laden family members fly out of the US in the days following the 9/11 attacks before the FBI could question them, could it? Couldn't be because Bush thinks so highly of the Saudis that he has the US Secret Service keep watch on the Saudi Embassy in DC, could it? Couldn't be because Bush and the Saudis play coochie-coochie when they get together, could it?

There must be billions in Saudi assets that can be frozen (and seized). This would go far in paying retribution to those injured and to the families of those killed as a result of Bush lies and malfeasance with the Saudi Royal family.

[Up2Late]

5. I was thinking the same thing as "krkaufman," here's the Reuters article

(This looks like another Counter-productive favor to the Saudi Royal Family)

U.S. freezes assets of Saudi opposition group

Thu Jul 14, 2005 1:50 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Thursday froze the assets of the Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia, a United Kingdom-based Saudi opposition group the United States says backs al Qaeda.

MIRA is run by Saad al-Fagih, an exiled Saudi dissident whose name is on the U.N. list of people associated with al Qaeda and the Taliban, the Treasury Department said. Fagih uses MIRA to provide al Qaeda with recruits and public relations help, said Stuart Levey, Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

U.N. Security Council members last year agreed to impose sanctions against Fagih, who lives in London, over alleged links to al Qaeda. Fagih's group says it aims to topple the Saudi monarchy, which militants believe is corrupt and untrue to Islam, by peaceful means.

"Designating MIRA will help stem the flow of funds to the organization," Levey said in a statement. Treasury named MIRA under a presidential order that allows U.S. authorities to order a freeze on an organization's assets and forbids any U.S. company from doing business with it. Treasury said MIRA's Web site contained messages from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda's Iraq wing.

<http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyid=2005-07-14T175014Z_01_N14721475_RTRIDST_0_POLITICS-SECURITY-USA-FAGIH-DC.XML>
(more at link above)