Lebanon is to freeze bank accounts suspected of being linked to terrorism, the governor of the Lebanese central bank, Riad Salamah, told AFP Tuesday, September 25. "Lebanon will put into effect the measures set out in the law passed by parliament in April 2001 as part of the fight against money laundering and will block accounts suspected of being linked to terrorism," Salamah said.
"A commission headed by the governor of the central bank, which began operating in July, will meet as soon as it receives a request to do so, backed up by a clear brief on a specific case."
The law allows for the commission to lift banking secrecy, which has been in force since 1956, and freeze ahead of a court ruling any account suspected of receiving funds from laundering drug money, major thefts, illegal weapons deals or any terrorist links.
Palestinian Islamist group Usbat Al-Ansar, placed on a suspect list of 27 movements and individuals, whose resources have been declared frozen by Washington as part of US-led anti-terrorist measures, is based in southern Lebanon.
The group denied Tuesday having any link with alleged terrorist mastermind Usama Bin Ladin or any bank accounts in the United States or any other country. “We do not have financial institutions, nor accounts in the United States or any other country," said the spokesman for the small Palestinian fundamentalist group, Abu Sharif, during a press conference at the home of the movement's leader, known as Abu Mahjan, whose real name is Abdul Karim as-Saadi.
He said his movement "does not have organizational links with Usama Bin Ladin, but does have relations with all Muslims, that are more solid than official links. Abu Mahjan is not now in Lebanon," said the group's spokesperson, standing alongside Abu Tarek, the brother of Abu Mahjan, who refused to answer journalists' questions.
The spokesman of the fundamentalist group based in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain Al-Helwah in southern Lebanon accused US President George W. Bush of "expressing his true feelings by talking of a 'crusade' against Islam," in waging war against terrorism. Bush later retracted, saying the expression had been inappropriate.
Abu Sharif said that "to accuse Usbat Al-Ansar of carrying out terrorism serves the interests of the Jews." "Usbat Al-Ansar supports the intifada (uprising) and any group which contributes to the jihad (Islamic holy war) against the Jews and charged with terrorism by the United States," he added.
Abu Mahjan is being sought by the Lebanese authorities, having been sentenced to death in absentia on three separate occasions for murder and attempted murder of rival Sunni Muslim religious leaders. He was also accused of having instigated an armed rebellion in December 1999-January 2000 in northern Lebanon that cost 45 lives, including 11 soldiers. ― (AFP, Beirut)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
