Title: US cracks Islamic charitys in Bosnia
Author:  Bobby Sharma
Publication: Daily Pioneer
Date: March 12, 2002
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=3505940

WASHINGTON: The United States, widening its financial assault on global terrorism, Monday blocked assets of an Islamic charity's branches in Bosnia and Somalia.

A Bush administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US government has evidence that some money from the charity's offices in Bosnia and Somalia had been diverted to support terrorist activities.

The Treasury Department's action is specifically against Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation's in those two countries. The charity is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and has offices in more than 50 countries, according to information on the group's Web site.

The group, according to its Web site, uses donations for many activities, including educating people about Islamic doctrines providing medical aid and food to some countries, and financing the building of schools, mosques and other projects. The site says nothing about providing weapons or cash and does not advocate violence.

The Bush administration official said the charity's office in Somali "is linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network" and the Bosnia office "is linked to Al-Gama'at Al-Islamiyya, a Egyptian terrorist group." The official would not provide further details.