Operation Greenquest unresolved

By Christopher Heffelfinger

Starting on Oct. 25, 2001, the Treasury Department began Operation Green Quest, aimed at seizing the assets of terrorist organizations using legitimate business or charitable cover in the United States. The multi-agency initiative intended to "augment existing counter-terrorist efforts by bringing the full scope of the government's financial expertise to bear against systems, individuals, and organizations that serve as sources of terrorist funding" has not yet yielded any convictions.

To the best of my understanding, the trial against those charged with bankrolling terrorism operations is stalled in Federal Court in Alexandria, VA. The complex network of transactions through Switzerland and the Isle of Man is perhaps difficult to unravel, and there is a massive amount of evidence to sort. But the lack of prosecutorial action is empowering domestic groups that continue to deny any terrorism connections with the groups raided in late 2001 and early 2002.

I have a few longer academic pieces covering this ongoing case, but this excerpt from Strategic Insights sums up the gravity of the case:

"A few of charity-business networks have been identified in the course of post 9/11 investigation and enforcement efforts. Operation Green Quest uncovered such links in its investigation of Yassin al Qadi and his involvement with BMI, which stands for the Arabic Beit ul Mal, or House of Finance. Green Quest established that there were links between BMI and an Islamic charity called Mercy International. Mercy was, in turn tied with al Taqwa and was implicated in several al Qaeda operations including the bombing of American Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

"An investigation into the activities of a number of Saudi and other Middle East businessmen working out of Herndon Virginia also unveiled a network of some 100 intertwined companies and charities charged with funding al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. This included Islamic educational, cultural and charitable organizations as well as for-profit businesses and investment firms. Most of the Islamic educational and charitable organizations were “paper” organizations registered at a common address but having no apparent physical structure. This network became known as the Safa Group. The Safa Group was closely associated in the United States with the SAAR Foundation, a charity with branches in both Canada and the United States funded by Saudi Billionaire Salaeh Abdul Aziz- al Rajhi. Evidence was uncovered showing that the Safa Group, using the various affiliated charities and companies under its control, transferred money in convoluted transactions through a network of inter-related organizations designed to prevent investigators from tracking the ultimate recipients. Collateral evidence supported the view that these recipients included al Qaeda, Hamas and other associated terrorist groups." (Comras, Victor. "Al Qaeda Finances and Funding to Affiliated Groups," Strategic Insights, Volume IV, Issue 1)

TrackBack