BOSNIA: KUWAITI CHARITY INVESTIGATED FOR TERROR LINKS
Sarajevo, 29 June (AKI) - Investigators are probing the Bosnian branch of the humanitarian organisation Revival of Islamic Heritage Society Kuwait (RIHSK) for possible terrorist links and financing of an Islamic terrorist organisation, Bosnian daily Nezavisne vovine reported on Thursday. RHISK channelled some 14 million euros to its sister organisation in Bosnia from January 1, 2002 to December 2005, the paper said, quoting unnamed prosecution sources.
The Bosnian organisation - registered under the same name as RIHSK and translated into Bosnian - hasn’t kept records on how the money was spent, the paper said. Nor has it ever submitted final accounts to the authorities. The organisation has branches in four Bosnian cities – Sarajevo, Zenica, Travnik and Kljuc and is headed by Othman al-Hajdar, who has Bosnian documents, according to Nezavisne vovine.
RHISK has been placed on the United Nations list of organisations which have links to the al-Qaeda terrorist network.
The Bosnian authorities are reviewing some 1,500 citizenships granted to foreign mujahadeen who fought on the side of local Muslims in the 1992-1995 civil war. The authorities have so far revoked the Bosnian citizenship of a total 38 individuals from Muslim countries and last week announced they will be expelled.
Thousands of such individuals fought in the civil war and many remained in the country after the war, often marrying local women, and some were operating training camps and recruiting local youths for the terrorist organisations, according to intelligence reports.
Bosnian prosecution spokesman Boris Grubesic neither confirmed nor denied the newspaper report on the ongoing investigation. "As a rule, we never comment on investigation procedures, especially in such sensitive matters," Grubesic said
The Bosnian organisation - registered under the same name as RIHSK and translated into Bosnian - hasn’t kept records on how the money was spent, the paper said. Nor has it ever submitted final accounts to the authorities. The organisation has branches in four Bosnian cities – Sarajevo, Zenica, Travnik and Kljuc and is headed by Othman al-Hajdar, who has Bosnian documents, according to Nezavisne vovine.
RHISK has been placed on the United Nations list of organisations which have links to the al-Qaeda terrorist network.
The Bosnian authorities are reviewing some 1,500 citizenships granted to foreign mujahadeen who fought on the side of local Muslims in the 1992-1995 civil war. The authorities have so far revoked the Bosnian citizenship of a total 38 individuals from Muslim countries and last week announced they will be expelled.
Thousands of such individuals fought in the civil war and many remained in the country after the war, often marrying local women, and some were operating training camps and recruiting local youths for the terrorist organisations, according to intelligence reports.
Bosnian prosecution spokesman Boris Grubesic neither confirmed nor denied the newspaper report on the ongoing investigation. "As a rule, we never comment on investigation procedures, especially in such sensitive matters," Grubesic said
posted by Marko at 6/29/2006 07:56:00 AM
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