home | news | site index

121/01

2nd November

UK TAKES FURTHER ACTION TO STOP TERRORIST FINANCING

HM Treasury, in coordination with US Authorities, today circulated a list of 25 organisations to financial institutions requiring that assets belonging to them be frozen.

Those named are believed to have committed or pose a significant risk of committing or providing material support for acts of terrorism.

Gordon Brown said:

“Those named today  have committed or pose a real risk of committing or funding acts of terrorism. They will find no safe haven for their assets in the UK. I expect all financial institutions to check their records and freeze the assets of those named wherever found.

“Today’s list is further evidence, following the Financial Action Task Force’s Recommendations earlier this week, of concerted international co-operation to disrupt and destroy the financing network of terrorists. The UK will continue to play a leading role in this work.

“The ready supply of finance is the lifeblood of modern terrorism. Those who finance terrorism are as guilty as those who commit it. UK domestic controls of terrorist financing are already among the best in the world, but we will do whatever is necessary to deprive terrorists of the funds they rely on. Just as there is no safe haven for terrorists there is no safe hiding place for their funds.”

back to top

Notes to Editor

1.Those listed today are:

1.      Abu Nidal Organisation (ANO)

2.      Aum Shinrikyo

3.      Babbar Khalsa

4.      Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA)

5.      Gama’a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group)

6.      Hamas-Izz al-Din al-Qassem

7.      Hizballah External Security Organisation

8.      International Sikh Youth Federation

9.      Kahane Chai (Kach)

10. Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)

11. Lashkar e Tayyaba

12. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)

13. Mujahedin-e Khalq Organisation (MEK) [minus the “National Council of Resistance of Iran” (NCRI) alias]

14. National Liberation Army (ELN)

15. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)

16. Palestine Liberation Front (PLF)

17. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)

18. PFLP-General Command (PFLP-GC

19. Real IRA

20. Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)

21. Revolutionary Nuclei (formerly ELA)

22. Revolutionary Organisation 17 November

23. Revolutionary People’s Liberation Army/Front (DHKP/C)

24. Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso, SL)

25. United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC)

The list has been circulated to financial institutions by the Bank of England (http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/press.htm)

2. Today’s list follows other recent HMT announcements to crack-down on terrorist financing:

12 October – UK Takes Steps To Freeze More Terrorist Assets

15 October – UK Action Plan On Terrorist Financing

15 October – Action Against Financing Of Terrorism – Statement by Chancellor Of Exchequer

31 October – HM Treasury Welcomes Tough New Measures To Tackle Terrorist Financing

Details can be found on-line at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk.

3. To date over £63 million of assets held in 36 accounts has been frozen in the UK.

4. Media enquiries should be directed to HM Treasury Press Office, tel. 020 7270 4420. Out of Hours tel. 020 7270 5000.

back to top