US report salutes Maghreb counter-terror efforts

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) represents the main terrorist threat in the Greater Sahara and Sahel region, according to a terrorism report recently released by the US State Department.

The Middle East and North Africa overview in the 2009 Country Reports on Terrorism, released to the public on August 5th, found that AQIM was mainly active out of the north-eastern part of Algeria and northern Mali. Al-Qaeda members moved across the Arab Maghreb and Sahel region – especially between Mali, Niger, and Mauritania to mount attacks.

Ransoms for the release of kidnapped foreign hostages provided AQIM with its main source of funding, the report noted. Although governments in the region have tried in the past to confront AQIM, they still need foreign support in building military and law enforcement capabilities, the analysis said.

AQIM operations along "under-governed borders", however, have "posed a challenge" for state responses, Ambassador-at-Large Daniel Benjamin, the co-ordinator for counter-terrorism at the State Department, explained at an August 5th press conference in Washington.

Benjamin called on states in the Arab Maghreb region and around the world to adopt a "no-concession policy" with kidnappers so that their funding flow can be stopped.

Operations by Algerian security services and public rejection of terrorism "have reduced al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)'s overall effectiveness during the past two years", the new report said.

"Algerian security forces have done a very good job [in defending] Algeria proper and as a result, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is pushing to the south in the Sahel: Mauritania, Niger and Mali… increasing the number of attacks there," National Counterterrorism Centre deputy director Russ Travers pointed out at the press conference.

The report noted a decrease in the number of high-profile terrorist attacks in Algeria in 2009, although low-level terrorist activities continued in rural areas in the form of roadside bombs and ambushes laid for security forces.

The document stressed that Algeria's Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which now calls itself al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), does not have any popular support.

As a result of declining numbers, AQIM has been hard at work trying to win the media war, as witnessed by the organisation's ability to conduct an attack and claim responsibility via communiqué within hours.

The report stressed the need for Algerian security forces to adapt continuously to AQIM's changing tactics.

Algeria's efforts to confront terrorist activities were also noted by the report. Algiers recently hosted a meeting of military chiefs of staff from Mali, Libya, Mauritania, and Niger to develop a regional counterterrorism strategy and establish a regional command centre in Tamanrasset. In addition, the Algerian government instituted a programme to hire 100,000 new police and gendarmes, reinforce the borders, augment security at airports, and increase the overall security presence in major cities.

AQIM poses the main terrorist threat to Mauritania, analysts found. The report reviewed a number of attacks that targeted foreign interests and nationals in 2009, the most prominent of which was the suicide attack near the headquarters of the French Embassy in Nouakchott.

Regarding Morocco, the document stated that the government pursued a comprehensive counterterrorism approach that emphasised neutralising existing terrorist cells through traditional intelligence work, pre-emptive security measures and collaboration with regional and international partners.

Building on popular rejection of terrorism, the Moroccan government has worked to reduce extremism, dissuade individuals from becoming radicalised and promote moderate and peaceful religious viewpoints.

Morocco also addressed terrorist financing and money laundering operations through the Financial Intelligence Unit created in April 2009.

Moroccan authorities were able to dismantle a number of terrorist cells. However, the report added, the mere presence of these groups stresses the need to continue to be cautious and vigilant.

The report noted that the Government of Tunisia placed a high priority on combating extremism and terrorism. In addition to using security and law enforcement measures, the Tunisian government also used social and economic programmes, including health care and public education, to ameliorate the conditions that terrorists exploit for recruitment and propaganda purposes.

As to Libya, the US Department of State report noted that the Libyan government continued to co-operate with the United States and international community to combat terrorism and terrorist financing after Tripoli's decision to renounce terrorism and its weapons of mass destruction programs.

The report reviewed statements by Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure on July 20th, 2009 in which he confirmed that Libya, Algeria, and Mali planned to co-ordinate military and intelligence efforts to fight security threats linked to AQIM in the Trans-Sahara region.

The report noted Libya's reconciliation and rehabilitation effort sponsored by the Kadhafi Development Foundation to convince the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), previously affiliated to al-Qaeda, to renounce violence and terrorism. Six leading members of LIFG, held in the Abu Salim prison, issued a document renouncing violence and claiming to adhere to a more sound Islamic theology.

The report said that LIFG's 417-page document, "Revisionist Studies of the Concepts of Jihad, Verification, and Judgment of People", gave detailed interpretations of the "ethics and morals to jihad". It included the rejection of violence as a means to change the political situations in Muslim majority countries whose leaders are Muslim, and condemned the killing of women, children, the elderly, clerics, and the like. Reducing the notion of jihad to fighting with the sword is an error, it added.

The US State Department report added that Libyan authorities released about 144 former LIFG members and 60 members of other jihadist groups from prison after completing their rehabilitation program.

Finally, the report also indicated that the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP) has been successful in building the capacity of Sahara and Sahel region countries and co-ordinating efforts, despite political setbacks over the years caused by coup d'états, ethnic rebellions, and extra-constitutional actions.

The TSCTP is a multi-faceted, multi-year strategy designed to combat violent extremism, and marginalize terrorist organisations by strengthening individual-country and regional counterterrorism capabilities, enhancing and institutionalizing co-operation among the region's security and intelligence organisations, promoting democratic governance, and discrediting terrorist ideology.

The overall goals of the initiative are to enhance the indigenous capacities of governments in the pan-Sahel (Mauritania, Mali, Chad, and Niger, as well as Nigeria, Senegal, and Burkina Faso); to confront the challenge posed by terrorist organisations in the trans-Sahara; and to facilitate co-operation between those countries and US partners in the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia).

Source: Magharebia

Foreign investors suspected of money laundering

Security services are investigating in one of most important money laundering cases, well informed sources told El Khabar, adding that many Algerian and foreign businessmen, in Annaba, Biskra, Oran, Chlef and Algiers, are being involved.
They are suspected of purchasing real estates in order to be used for laundering as much money as possible.

The same source said the abovementioned suspects have brought their money from abroad, while managing investing a large part of it in export activities, enabling them embezzling their money abroad with net profits.

The sources told El Khabar that security services are investigating on suspicious bank bonds being delivered by some foreign investors to Algerian Authorities enabling them investing huge money, by stages, during the few last years.
However, auctions were the safe heaven for those foreign businessmen while laundering their money, noting that they have brought their money from their country of origin, mostly Eastern Europe and Asia.

They tend to export goods being purchased previously in auctions, while injecting the profits in their capitals, adding to them the huge profits by hard currency which is usually transferred to their accounts in European banks.

The preliminary investigations concluded by discovering that a company based in Annaba, owned by an investor from an Arab country, has made only 5% profits.
Investigators concluded that the company’s manager is accused of tax evasion, while his company’s hard currency profits have been laundered in Algeria before being embezzled abroad under the cover of metal scraps’ exports.


http://www.elkhabar.com/quotidienFrEn/lire.php?idc=114&ida=112456

Algeria: Notaries warn against mafia and terrorists falsified contracts used in money laundering

EL KHABAR-Some notaries have expressed concern as no database containing contracts and registrations of title deeds allowing them notifying real estate contracts, such a database will allowing them sealing contracts, and avoiding committing mistakes, while securing the law of the economical operations.

The legal security of the economic operations has been the main topic approached during a follow-up seminar sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, benefiting for notaries, such a seminar has been held in the framework of the cooperation program for justice reform, between Algeria, and the EU. Several notaries and real estate law specialists from Spain, and Algeria, have been present.
In its intervention, a Spanish specialist in real estate and economical operations contracts has stressed on the close relationship that should exist between notaries and the authorities, in view of baring the way to falsification operations.
According to a security services report, some terrorists have managed benefiting from leases, real estate contracts, and commercial investments. One of the main cases has been unveiled in Boumerdès central province, after a deep investigation, the money amount has been recuperated by the security services.
In his turn, another Spanish specialist has called on the notaries to learn the documents and the contracts thoroughly to avoid misinterpreting the content, to face up the organized crime group’s falsification attempts.

http://www.amlosphere.com/africa/aml/algeria-notaries-warn-against-mafia-and-terrorists-falsified-contracts-used-in-money-laundering.html

Netherlands Concerned about Al Qaida in North Africa

The Netherlands is concerned about the increasing influence of Al Qaida in North Africa. The Hague wants to step up its partnership with Algeria against terrorism, Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen told the Lower House on Friday.

As far as international terrorism is concerned, "the most important threat unabatedly comes from Islamic terrorist groupings including Al Qaida," according to Verhagen. "Al Qaida's influence has unfortunately increased in the border area of Afghanistan and Pakistan in the past year." However, "the threat has increased specifically in the North Africa/Sahel region," Verhagen adds.

Elementary for success in Afghanistan "is a clear approach by Pakistan". Media and experts say that the Pakistani government is too conciliatory and negotiates from a position of weakness, according to the minister. "The fear exists that a safe haven for terrorists will thereby again be permitted in the tribal areas. The Dutch government shares this concern."

In North Africa, the linking up of the Groupe Salafiste pour la Predication et le Combat (GSPC) with Al Qaida has led to the emergence of the AQIM terrorist group. This has drawn attention to itself recently via some bloody attacks. "Organisations like AQIM also have network contacts in countries in Western Europe, and recent arrests in Austria and Germany show they also form a potential threat to the Netherlands."

Due to the regional mutual links between North African countries, Verhagen considers it "important to work closely with countries like Morocco and Algeria to reduce terrorism in the region and the influence of AQIM." Cooperation with Morocco has been stepped up in the past year. "The Netherlands is now in talks with Algeria to arrive at a similar partnership arrangement." This focuses on tackling radicalisation via the Internet and in prisons, and tackling the financing of terrorism, document fraud and detection of explosives.

In general, Verhagen places "great value on tackling the underlying factors" that contribute to extremism and terrorism. For this, he has three policy goals. These are "fostering the dialogue between cultures, encouraging reforms in Islamic/Arabic countries and removing the negative perceptions of the West in the Islamic/Arabic world, among other means by using public diplomacy." In combating terrorism, "respect for human rights is paramount."

Meanwhile, Verhagen is working on an anti-terrorism institute to be based in the Netherlands. CDA MP Coruz requested this in a Lower House motion in April. According to Verhagen, "the government will carry out further research to achieve this. I hope to be able to tell you more about this within a few months," he wrote to the House.

Source: NISNEWS

US workshop in Jordan builds support to battle money laundering

The U.S. government organized a workshop in Jordan to teach officials from the Arab countries how to detect and investigate the smuggling of money.

The U.S. has been working with Jordan and other Arab countries to ensure that banking institutions are subject to appropriate oversight and that they have effective programs in place to prevent money-laundering and terrorist financing.

Participants, including representatives from Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Tunisia and Yemen, examined anti-money laundering standards used by the Financial Action Task Force, a Paris-based inter-government body set up in 1989 by the Group of Eight industrialized nations.

This week, U.S. federal prosecutors said two NY residents were indicted on charges of trying to smuggle $500,000 (euro323,000) from the U.S. to Jordan.

Authorities said a grand jury in Hartford, Connecticut returned an indictment charging 35-year-old Hassan Abuzaitoun and 33-year-old Mohammad Alazzam with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to smuggle bulk cash from the United States. Both are naturalized U.S. citizens from Jordan residing in Yonkers, New York.

Jordanian authorities have often asserted that Jordan was free of money laundering because of its strict monetary regulations and practices.

In 2004, three different groups of families of suicide bombing victims in Israel filed suits in a Brooklyn, N.Y. federal court against Jordan's largest financial institution _ Arab Bank _ alleging that it moved donations from Saudi Arabia to militant Palestinian groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The bank denied the allegation. It later decided to close down its New York branch saying it was pursuing its strategy to focus on operations in the Arab world and Europe.

http://www.amlosphere.com/america/legislation/us-workshop-in-jordan-builds-support-to-battle-money-laundering.html

Latino countries new destination of laundered money

Banks are increasingly notifying about money laundering suspicion operations, an official source told El Khabar, adding that during this year’s first half, banks have issued 192 money laundering suspicion notifications, i.e. a 100% increase comparing to the three last years.

The same source said Europe stand on the top position in terms of favorite destinations of laundered money, including France, Italy and Belgium, followed by Gulf countries, like Arab Emirates, while some Latin America’s countries, like Brazil, have joined the list.

The number of money laundering suspicion notifications moved from 36 in 2006, to 66 last year, while jumping up to 192 during 2008 first half.

On another side, the same source said export activities have become safe heaven of money laundering operations, while pointing out that no notification has been issued about local products exports.

Meanwhile, Algeria will be subject to evaluation in terms of money laundering and countering financial crimes, scheduled by international organizations early next year.

Worth mentioning that Algerian Justice is procrastinating in terms of treating money laundering cases, while managing settling only two cases off the hundred suspicion notifications being issued by banks.

Source: ElKhabar

FBI experts trained 37 judges in terror and laundering issues

37 judges benefited from special training, in Algeria and abroad, monitored by foreign experts from France, Spain, Sweden and the US, Justice Ministry disclosed yesterday, pointing out that they are to be distributed on 4 judicial poles in charge of dealing with crime cases like terrorism and money laundering.

The director of Training for Justice Ministry, Si El Hadj M’hand told a press conference yesterday that the abovementioned judges have taken special training on money laundering crimes in Algeria last September given by experts for the US Federal Bureau of Investigations, FBI.

He further said: “there would be other training sessions in the future targeting making judges updated with the merging cybercrime issues, which authorities are paying big intention for its close link with the worldwide network, internet.

On another side, 118 lawyers have requested to be promoted as judges, sources within Justice Ministry told El Khabar, adding that 20 judges requested being quitted from their positions, since 2003, “for administrative or personal reasons.”

In this context, it is worth mentioning that senior lawyers in Algiers, Mr. Abdelmadjid Sellini said 51 judges have recently submitted their resignations.

Algeria: Trial on Corruption Scandal Begins

Algiers, 8 Jan. (AKI)

The trial of 104 people allegedly implicated in the Khalifa corruption scandal was scheduled to open on Monday in Blida, 50 kilometres south-west of the capital Algiers. A three-year investigation into the business of Algerian tycoon Abdelmoumen Rafik Khalifa, who is believed to have fled to London in 2003 and will be tried in absentia, involved four ministers, several magistrates and top government officials. Khalifa, 38, faces charges of fraud and money laundering.

The Khalifa business, which included a bank, an airline company, a luxury car rental firm, pharmaceuticals companies, and several satellite television channels, went bankrupt in April 2003.

The trial opening on Monday will deal only with the El Khalifa Bank scandal, in which money deposited in savings accounts was allegedly used to finance the group's expansion. Four other cases, including those of Khalifa Airways, will reportedly be examined separately by the Blida court.

http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Politics&loid=8.0.374210217&par=0

Jordan's PM urges worldwide effort to combat corruption

The Associated Press
Sunday, December 10, 2006
AMMAN, Jordan

Jordanian Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit on Sunday urged stepped up international efforts to combat corruption, saying it had reached unprecedented levels and played a significant role in global terrorism.

"Corruption of its various sorts has a strong link to organized crime, including drugs, human trafficking, terrorism, arms smuggling, illegal immigration and the misuse of authority, al-Bakhit said.

"Therefore, international cooperation, experience-sharing, information exchange and consolidating technical assistance between countries, international organizations and civil society institutions is highly significant and a human duty," he asserted.

Al-Bakhit said global corruption reached "unprecedented levels." Quoting World Bank figures, he said bribery is estimated at US$1 trillion (€750 million) each year.

"The money spent on bribery is 10 times the international assistance available for development, which makes us realize the seriousness and gravity of the crime of corruption.

Al-Bakhit made the remarks at the opening of a four-day U.N.-sponsored anti-corruption conference on the Jordanian shores of the Dead Sea.

Some 500 participants from 125 countries are reviewing the U.N. Convention Against Corruption, the first legally binding international anti-corruption tool, which came into force on Dec. 14, 2005.

So far, 140 countries have signed the convention and 80 have ratified it to become full-fledged parties.

It addresses corruption in both the public and private sectors and requires countries to criminalize money laundering, bribery, embezzlement of public funds, and obstruction of justice.

Participants include government ministers, civil society representatives and the private sector, who are examining ways to enforce compliance with the convention, asset recovery and technical assistance to build national capacity to combat corruption.

They are also seeking to strengthen legal cooperation between countries in gathering evidence for use in trials and extradition proceedings are also under discussion.

Conference host Jordan, which ratified the convention on Feb. 24, 2005, is among seven Arab countries that are party to the convention, including Egypt, Kuwait, Yemen, Djibouti, Libya and Algeria.

Last Monday, Jordan's ruler, King Abdullah II, issued a royal decree approving the country's anti-corruption commission law, endorsed by parliament in September. It establishes an official body in Jordan entrusted with combating public sector corruption in line with the U.N. convention.

The commission is expected to have a free mandate to pursue current and former officials who are suspected of being involved in corruption.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/10/africa/ME_GEN_Jordan_U.N._Anti_Corruption.php