UN Finally Gets Around to Listing IIRO Indonesia

By Victor Comras

On August 3rd, 2006 the US Treasury Department moved to designate the Philippine and Indonesia Branches of the International Islamic Relief Organizations as global terrorist entities (SDGTs). The Treasury Department also designated the Saudi based Executive Director of the Eastern Province Branch of IIRO, Abd Al Hamid Sulaiman Al-Mujil. According to the Treasury Department Al-Mujil “used his position to bankroll the al Qaida network in Southeast Asia. Al-Mujil has a long record of supporting Islamic militant groups, and he has maintained a cell of regular financial donors in the Middle East who support extremist causes," Many experts had felt that this move was long overdue. The UN Al Qaeda Monitoring Group, back in December 2003, had reported its own concerns that the IIRO was funding terrorist entities in Southeast Asia. (see my earlier blog).

As is customary, the US moved quickly to notify the international community of its designation and requested that the UN’s Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee act quickly also to add both entities to its Consolidated List of Designated Entities. Unlike the previous UN designation of al Haramain, the Saudi Government did not join with this request. The UN action places a uniform international obligation on all countries to freeze the assets and cut off the flow of money to listed individuals and organizations. The UN committee did act quickly to list Al-Mujil and the IIRO Philippines (which was done on August 4, 2006). But, action was delayed re the Indonesia IIRO branch until just a few days ago, for reasons still unclear to this author. These delays are usually caused by one or more Security Council members putting the designation on hold. The listing was finally agreed and entered on the list on November 9th.

It is not clear whether any action has yet been taken by the Indonesian government to close down the charity. In any event, the long delay has provided IIRO Indonesia the opportunity to hide its assets and reorganize its affairs in order to avoid the real impact of these sanctions. As my colleague, Zachary Abuza, wrote here, on August 3rd, the IIRO maintained a very small footprint in Indonesia, and really worked through the auspices of KOMPAC, a local organization. That group has still not been designated.

These are the first and only branches of the International Islamic Relief Organization to have been listed by the UN for supporting al Qaeda. In presenting the case against IIRO Indonesia, the US provided information indicating that its director had channeled money to two Indonesia-based, previously designated JI-affiliated foundations. The group had also provided assistance with recruitment, transportation, logistics, and safe-havens.

While the Philippine supported the US action, the first reactions out of both Indonesia and Saudi Arabia were that these accusations were “baseless.” The Saudi Gazette and Arab news both highlighted Al-Mujil’s denials. He continues to teach at the King Faisal University in Dammam and there is, as yet, no indication that he has been removed as Director of the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) in the Eastern Province. The Saudi government has regularly maintained that the IIRO enjoys the status of an international “non-governmental, multinational organization” not subject to Saudi control.

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