New group added to Security Council list of Al-Qaida operatives under UN sanctions

A Security Council committee today added a new entity to the United Nations list of those subject to sanctions against Al-Qaida and Taliban operatives.

The committee set up to monitor Council resolution 1267 placed the Jemaah Islamiyah network in Southeast Asia, which goes by a number of alias, under sanctions. The group was founded by the late Abdullah Sungkar.

The UN sanctions require States to freeze financial resources, including funds derived or generated by any undertaking owned or controlled by the Taliban, and to ensure that they are not used by the group.

Countries are also obliged to freeze funds and other financial assets of Usama bin Laden and his associates in the Al-Qaida organization, and to prevent their entry or transit through the State's territory. In addition, nations must prevent the supply, sale and transfer of all arms and materiel – along with any form of military training – to the named individuals and entities.

The sanctions were originally adopted, and later tightened, in response to the indictment of Usama bin Laden for the 1998 terrorist bombings of US embassies in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam.