US imposes sanctions on Hezbollah financial 'supporters'
The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on two African-based alleged financial backers of the Islamist group Hezbollah, which is classified a terrorist group by Washington.
The Treasury Department said it had designated Kassim Tajideen and Abd Al Menhem Qubaysi under a law that freezes the assets of alleged terrorists and their backers and prohibits Americans from having any transactions with them.
Iran-backed Hezbollah is a Shiite militant group which fought a devastating war with Israel in 2006.
A Treasury statement said Tajideen was "an important financial contributor to Hezbollah who operates a network of businesses in Lebanon and Africa."
It accused him of channelling the funds through his brother, which it claimed was a Hezbollah commander in Lebanon.
Tajideen and his brothers were also alleged to have run "cover companies" for Hezbollah in Africa.
In 2003, Tajideen was arrested in Belgium in connection with fraud, money laundering and diamond smuggling, the statement said.
Qubaysi, an Ivory Coast-based Hezbollah supporter, is a personal representative of the group's secretary general Hassan Nasrallah and has hosted senior Hezbollah officials travelling to Africa to raise money, the statement said.
Qubaysi also allegedly helped establish an official Hezbollah foundation in Ivory Coast used to recruit new members for the group's military ranks in Lebanon.
"We will continue to take steps to protect the financial system from the threat posed by Hezbollah and those who support it," said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey.
"Not only is Hezbollah itself a terrorist organization with global reach, it also recently acknowledged publicly that it provides support to Hamas," he said.
Hamas -- a multi-faceted Islamist political, social and armed movement which controls the Gaza Strip in the Palestinian territories -- was designated a terrorist organization by the United States in 1995.
Hezbollah is vying to oust a pro-Western faction currently dominating Lebanon's parliament in June legislative elections.
