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U.S. imposes sanctions on members of Iran-based al-Qaeda network

28 July 2011 22:59 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on six members of an al-Qaeda network, saying they were funneling funds and operatives through Iran, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The Department of Treasury said that the network, which is headed by Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil -- a prominent Iran-based al- Qaeda facilitator -- is operating under an agreement between al- Qaeda and the Iranian government.

Iranian authorities maintains a relationship with Khalil, aka Yasin al-Suri, and have permitted him to operate within Iran’s borders since 2005, the Treasury said in a statement.

It described Iran as a "critical transit point" for funding to support al-Qaeda’s activities in Afghanistan and Pakistan, noting that Khalil’s network "serves as the core pipeline through which al-Qaeda moves money, facilitators and operatives from across the Middle East to South Asia," including Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, al- Qaeda’s overall commander in Pakistan’s tribal areas, who was also put under sanctions along with Umid Muhammadi, Salim Hasan Khalifa Rashid al-Kuwari, Abdallah Ghanim Mafuz Muslim al-Khawar and Ali Hasan Ali al-Ajmi.

U.S. persons are now prohibited from engaging in commercial or financial transactions with the six men, and any assets they may hold under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen.

"Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world today," Under Secretary of Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen said. "By exposing Iran’s secret deal with al-Qaeda allowing it to funnel funds and operatives through its territory, we are illuminating yet another aspect of Iran’s unmatched support for terrorism."

"Today’s action also seeks to disrupt this key network and deny al-Qaeda’s senior leadership much-needed support," he added.