Reuters, Washington, May 27, 2009 – The U.S. Treasury Department said on Wednesday it will freeze the assets in the United States of two individuals linked to Hezbollah and prohibit U.S. banks and consumers from making business deals with them.
The U.S. Treasury said in a statement it named Kassim Tajideen from Sierra Leone and Abd Al Menhem Qubaysi of Lebanon under an executive order that targets terrorists and those giving financial or material support to terrorism.
The two are said to be Africa-based supporters of Hezbollah, a Syrian and Iranian-backed Shi’ite Muslim political and guerrilla group.
’We will continue to take steps to protect the financial system from the threat posed by Hezbollah and those who support it,’ said Stuart Levey, undersecretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence.
The Treasury statement said Tajideen is a financial contributor to Hezbollah and operates a network of businesses in Lebanon and Africa. He was arrested in Belgium in connection with fraud, money laundering and diamond smuggling.
Qubaysi was described as an Ivory Coast-based Hezbollah supporter and the personal representative of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
Qubaysi helped establish an official Hezbollah foundation in the Ivory Coast that has been used to recruit.