The Obama administration moved Thursday to clamp down financially on the Syria-based leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.
The Treasury Department's action against Abu Khalaf means that any bank accounts or other financial assets found in the United States that belong to him must be frozen. Americans also are prohibited from doing business with him.
"We will continue to aggressively implement the international obligation to target al-Qaida-linked terrorists like Abu Khalaf, who threaten the safety of coalition forces and the stability of Iraq," said Stuart Levey, Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
The department alleges that Abu Khalaf serves as the senior leader of al-Qaida in Iraq's "facilitation network" in Syria. That network has controlled the flow of money, weapons, terrorists and other resources through Syria to al-Qaida in Iraq, Treasury says.
Abu Khalaf recruited North Africans for al-Qaida in Iraq, helped transfer equipment to the group's networks and was "likely involved" in facilitating the travel of a number of suicide operatives, the department said.
Copyright 2009 AP News
