The U.S. announced Thursday it was sanctioning eight leaders of the Pakistan-based terrorist network Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LET). The move is meant to further undermine LET's core leadership and disrupt LET communication and supply networks.
"Today's action against LET is Treasury's most comprehensive to date against this group and includes individuals participating in all aspects of LET's operations - from commanders planning attacks to those managing LET's relationships with other terrorist groups," Treasury Department Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen said in a press release.
He added, "Attacking LET's facilitation networks is particularly important, since charitable donations LET raises in Pakistan - its primary revenue source - are used to fuel LET's militant operations."
The sanctions announced today pursuant under Executive Order (E.O.) 1322 prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in any transactions with the eight LET leaders named and freezes any assets the designees have under U.S. jurisdiction.
The eight designees named are all involved in "propaganda campaigns, financial networks, and logistic support networks" for LET. The list includes members who helped to coordinate attacks on coalition and Afghan forces as well as perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which left 166 people dead, including six Americans.
LET was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in December 2001. They are also banned by the Pakistani government but continue to be active in Pakistan and throughout the region at large.
The designees are as follows:
- Sajjid Mir: senior member since 2001 in charge of external operations and militant recruitment. Former personal secretary to LET operations chief Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.
Mir, the most prominent of the designees, was LET's project manager for the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Mir trained operatives in attacks plans and hostage taking. He was also the chief interlocutor with LET operative David Coleman Headley, a Chicago-based Pakistani American who has since pled guilty to terrorism charges.
- Abdullah Mujahid: senior commander since 1988. Senior paramilitary commander for LET's Afghanistan wing since 2008.
- Ahmed Yaqub: senior member since 2008. Head of maritime program, chief for Bangladesh and Nepal operations and chief accountant.
- Hafiz Khalid Walid: senior member since 2003. Head of LET political bureau since 2008.
- Qari Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh: senior member since 2006. Head of LET Islamabad office, leader of LET ulema (clerics) wing and operations coordination for several LET front businesses.
- Amir Hamza: senior member since 2011. Responsible for writing and publishing LET propaganda. Officer of LET university trust and LET-sponsored charity.
- Abdullah Muntazir: senior member since 1999. LET international media spokesman and founder and editor of Ghazwa, an LET weekly publication.
- Talha Saeed: senior member since 2005. Head of LET teacher's department in charge of indoctrination and propaganda.
by RTT Staff Writer
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