Washington: In 2019, the US blocked around $63 million (460 crores) of many terrorist organizations of the world. These include Pakistan’s Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e Mohammed, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen-al-Islami. These three organizations have been promoting terrorism in Kashmir.
An annual report released on Thursday by the US Treasury Department states that the US blocked $342,000 in funds of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), $1,725 of the Jaish-e Mohammed (JeM) and $45,798 of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen-al-Islami. All three operate from Pakistan. Harkat-ul-Mujahideen-al-Islami is also active in Kashmir.
Hizbul Mujahideen has $4,321 blocked by the US in 2019 as against $2,287 the previous year. For the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, the US blocked $5,067 in 2019 as against a paltry $318 in 2018.
Action taken by OFAC
The Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is an important US agency. It is responsible for for implementing sanctions against the assets of international terrorist organisations and terrorism-supporting countries. This agency takes this action keeping in mind the US foreign policy and National Security.
The biggest shock to al-Qaeda
According to the report, in 2019 the US blocked $63 million in funds of nearly 70 designated terrorist organisations, with the highest being $3.9 million of the al-Qaeda group. While the total blocked funds in 2018 was $46 million, that of the al-Qaeda was $6.4 million that year. The list includes the Haqqani network ($26,546). It is a significant increase from $3,626 in 2018. The US continues to block $580,811 in funds of the Sri Lanka-based Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Taliban got relief
The report indicated a significant drop in Taliban funds being blocked by the US from $296,805 in 2018 to $59,065 in 2019. The US also blocked $200.19 million in funds of countries designated as sponsors of terrorism — Iran, Sudan, Syria and North Korea.