Another UN Designation Goes Awry
By Victor Comras
For the last several years, US terrorism financing trackers have noted suspicious financial transactions coming out of South Africa that appeared to be for the benefit of al Qaeda. Some of these transactions predate 9/11. Following the money led them to a Johannesburg dentist, Junaid Ismail Dockrat, and to his cousin, Farhad Ahmed Dockrat, an Islamic Cleric. The South African authorities were notified. But, nothing happened. Despite US entreaties, South African officials were reluctant to take any action beyond agreeing to monitor their activities. They asked the US to be patient as they sought to develop new information concerning the pair’s activities.
Last week, with patience at an end, the US decided to move against Farhad and Juniad, and to put new pressure on the South African Government to act. The US presented the pair’s names to the UN Security Council’s Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee for designation. South Africa had just become a member of that Committee on January 1st. It was hoped that South Africa would join in the designation request, and that all countries would then act to block their financial transactions and their assets. But, that did not occur. Instead, South Africa put an indefinite hold on the UN designation process.
This is not the first time that a member of the committee chose to hold back the UN designation of its nationals. Pakistan, also used its position on the Security Council and Al Qaeda Committee to stymie the designations of Lashkar e Toiba and Al Akhtar Trust for more than year. And Lashkar’s offshoot, Jamaat e Dawa has still not been designated by the UN Committee, despite US claims that Jamaat is merely an alias for Lashkar.
To the embarrassment of all parties, the story leaked, and Reuters reporter, Michael Georgy, published a story January 21st, reporting that papers had been submitted by the United States to the Security Council alleging that both Junaid and Farhad had acted as al-Qaeda "financiers, recruiters and facilitators." According to the news report they had transferred funds to al Qaeda and coordinated the travel of South Africans to Pakistan to train there with Militant Islamic groups. Both men deny these charges.
Despite the UN Al Qaeda and Taliban Committee’s hold on the designation, US Treasury Department officials decided to act on their own. A press release from the Treasury Department this morning announced that the US was designating both Farhad and Junaid, and an entity owned by them, Sniper Africa. The South African’s were reportedly furious.
According to the Treasury Department Press Release “Farhad Ahmed Dockrat and Junaid Ismail Dockrat, and a related entity { were designated January 26th} for financing and facilitating al Qaida, pursuant to Executive Order 13224.” The Press release goes on to say
"Today's action targets two family members that have supported al Qaida – one by providing funds to Al Akhtar Trust, a globally-recognized al Qaida fundraiser, and another by facilitating travel for individuals to train in al Qaida camps…. In one example, Dockrat in 2001 provided over 400,000 South African Rand (approximately $62,900 US) to the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan to be forwarded to al Akhtar Trust, an Afghanistan-based fundraiser for al Qaida. Al Akhtar Trust was previously designated by the United States under E.O. 13224 for its support to al Qaida. Al Akhtar Trust is also on the United Nations 1267 Committee's list of sanctioned individuals and entities designated for providing support to al Qaida, Usama bin Ladin and the Taliban…..Junaid Dockrat is an al Qaida financier, recruiter and facilitator. Junaid Dockrat in 2004 worked via phone and email with Al Qaida operations chief Hamza Rabi'a (now deceased) to coordinate the travel of South Africans to Pakistan in order for them to train with al Qaida. He is also responsible for raising US $120,000 that Rabi'a received in the spring of 2004.”
The US designation may turn out to be only symbolic as neither party holds any assets here. And with a hold at the Security Council Al Qaeda Committee, it’s not clear when or whether they will be placed on the UN designation list. Without such UN designation, neither South Africa or any other country may feel compelled to act against the pair’s assets or transactions. And, its doubtful that there’s any money still to be found, given that the story leaked last week.