Bush administration accuses Saudi charity of financing terrorism

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bush administration accused a U.S. arm of a large Saudi charity on Thursday of helping to finance terrorist activities.
The Treasury Department's action covers Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation's locations in Ashland, Ore., and Springfield, Mo. The action makes a formal designation that the group is suspected of supporting terrorism. In February, the government had ordered banks to freeze the assets and property at those locations pending further investigation.

The department said a federal investigation "shows direct links between the U.S. branch and Osama bin Laden," the al-Qaeda leader. Further details were not provided.

In addition, Treasury cited allegations that the U.S. arm of Al-Haramain violated tax laws and engaged in money-laundering offenses. "Information shows that individuals associated with the branch tried to conceal the movement of funds intended for Chechnya by omitting them from tax returns and mischaracterizing their use, which they claimed was for the purchase of a prayer house in Springfield, Mo.," the department said.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-09-09-terror-financing_x.htm

Interesting to see this within days of Graham's charges.

[Nite Owl]

1. Looks like they sure got right

on that one all of sudden. Meanwhile Sen. Graham has a book published already.

[acmavm]

2. Do you think that bush* cleared this with Prince Bandar? He's had a

big hand in making our foreign and domestic policy decisions over the last four years.

[utopian]

3. People are looking more closely at the Saudis

Since F911. It looks to me like Bush is attempting to show us that the Saudi's aren't exempt from the War on Terra. Throwing the people a bone, as it were, just in time for the election.