In Stunning Move, UN and US Delist Nasreddin and His Companies from Sanctions

Counterterrorism Blog ^ | November 16, 2007 | Jonathan Winer

[khnyny]

In a move subject to no publicity whatsoever, and so far not reported by the press, the UN Security Council today without explanation removed Ahmed Idris Nasreddin and 12 of his companies from the terrorist sanctions list, freeing them from sanctions on a global basis. The UN action followed a similar action by the United States dated yesterday.

The move reflects a 180 degree change from previous assessments of Nasreddin, as articulated by the U.S. Treasury when he and his companies were designated as terrorist financiers by the G-7 on April 19, 2002 and by the UN a week later.

At that time, Treasury stated that Nasreddin operated an extensive financial network providing support for terrorist related activities through commercial holdings which included "an extensive conglomeration of businesses" from which he derived income and conducted transactions. Back then, Treasury stated without qualifiication that "Nasreddin’s corporate holdings and financial network provide direct support for Nada and Bank Al Taqwa," themselves designated as terrorist financiers by the U.S. on November 7, 2001, and the UN on November 9, 2001.

Five years ago, the U.S. Treasury stated that Nasreddin held a controlling interest in Akida Bank, also on the terrorist finance sanctions list, which it described as not being a functional banking institution but a shell company lacking a physical presence, and which had its license revoked by the Bahamian government.

Treasury further stated that Bank Al Taqwa, for which Nasreddin was a director, was established in 1988 with significant backing from the Muslim Brotherhood, which had been involved in financing radical groups such as the Palestinian Hamas, Algeria's Islamic Salvation Front and Armed Islamic Group, Tunisia's An-Nahda, and Usama bin Laden and his Al Qaida organization.

[quant5]

That was kind of funny. Anyways, here’s my take Expat. I simply see an abandonment of our ‘your with us or against us’ State Department policy after 911.

Now I see us trying to partner with corrupt regimes who are more are less the puppeteers of proxy terrorist states like Iran, Syria and North Korea. In other words, we are trying to bribe our way out of the WOT and future conflicts.

Of course, this never works for long as it is construed by nations such as Russia and China as an act of weakness to be exploited to the nth. The moment we attempt to hold our unholy alliance partners accountable at all, the more they simply ratchet back the pressure from the proxy states.

The real problem with this strategy is that nukes are now involved. Russia and China have created Frankenstein monsters. You cannot permantely control Frankenstein, you can only restrain him temporarily. Frankestein is a good analogy to me. At first, Frankenstein lashes out and destroys the good townspeople’s home. But later, he feels he has lost everything and then hunts down and destroys his master.

[expatpat]

The State Department has been weak-kneed for many, many years.