JAT Islamic Terror Group Blacklisted By US State, Treasury Departments – OpEd

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The United States Department of State on Friday blacklisted the Indonesia-based al-Qaeda ally Jemmah Anshorut Tauhid (JAT) as a foreign terrorist organization and ordered sanctions on its top leaders.

The Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her senior staff claim that the terrorist group was behind multiple attacks that were responsible for the deaths of civilians, police and military personnel in Indonesia.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Treasury responded by imposing sanctions on Mochammad Achwan, JAT’s acting emir, Son Hadi bin Muhadjir, the group’s spokesman, and its leader Abdul Rosyid Ridho Ba’asyir, who is involved in recruiting and fundraising activities for JAT.

Treasury officials said that the founder and leader of JAT is Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, who is also the co-founder of Jemaah Islamiya, a Southeast Asia-based terrorist network which also has links to al-Qaeda.

“By designating the leaders of Jemmah Anshorut Tauhid, OFAC is taking another step to ensure that terrorists are cut off from the international financial system and find it ever more difficult to carry out their acts of violence, no matter where they are based,” Adam Szubin, director of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), said in a statement.

This latest State Department action prohibits U.S. citizens from doing business with these men, and any and all JET assets on U.S. soil are frozen.

Another al-Qaeda affiliate creates mayhem

Meanwhile, the government of northwest Nigeria’s Gombe State has imposed a 24-hour curfew on its metropolis following an attack on Gombe Police Divisional headquarters on Friday night. The primary suspects in this latest terrorist act is the al-Qaeda ally Boko Haram.

The attackers used explosives to bomb the station before firing sporadic gun shots, according to an Israeli source who frequently assists the Law Enforcement Examiner.

Upwards of 40 explosions have been reported by police at the Gombe police division which is adjacent to the palace of the Emir of Gombe as well as other places, said the anonymous Israeli source.

While there is no claim of responsibility from any terrorist groups thus far, security sources say they confirmed the blasts had been carried out by the Boko Haram jihadists.

Jim Kouri

Jim Kouri, CPP, formerly Fifth Vice-President, is currently a Board Member of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, an editor for ConservativeBase.com, and he's a columnist for Examiner.com. In addition, he's a blogger for the Cheyenne, Wyoming Fox News Radio affiliate KGAB (www.kgab.com). Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.

2 thoughts on “JAT Islamic Terror Group Blacklisted By US State, Treasury Departments – OpEd

  • February 26, 2012 at 10:16 am
    Permalink

    U institutes sanctions…big deal. Does anyone care? I don’t.

    Reply
  • February 26, 2012 at 10:17 am
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    Correction: “US”

    Reply

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