Files on US Islamic charities sought

WASHINGTON: The US Senate asked tax officials to provide confidential financial information on more than 20 Islamic charities in the United States suspected of having ties to terrorist networks, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

While the Senate Finance Committee is authorized to request private financial records, it rarely invokes that power, the Post noted. Investigators are particularly interested in some 20 US organizations that enjoy tax-exempt status and are suspected of having ties to the al-Qaeda network or the radical movement Hamas. Among the groups that could face Senate scrutiny are the Holy Land Foundation — the largest Muslim charity in the United States — and the Muslim Student Association, the daily said.

The Internal Revenue Service will be asked to provide information on the groups, including a list of their top officials and their financial records. As part of the battle against terrorist financing, the United States has frozen nearly 137 million dollars in funds suspected of belonging to terrorist groups. —Reuters

Home | National