US designates Al-Qaeda network in Brazil as global terrorists

A view of the skyline in Brasilia. (File/AFP)

LONDON: The US Treasury Department designated members of a Brazil-based network of Al-Qaeda-affiliated individuals and their companies for providing support to the terrorist group. 
“Al-Qaeda and its regional affiliates continue to pose a threat to countries around the world (and) the United States is taking action today to stem the funding of this terrorist group by designating members of a Brazil-based network of Al-Qaeda-affiliated individuals and their companies as Specially Designated Global Terrorists,” the State Department said in a statement.
The US designated Haytham Ahmad Shukri Ahmad Al-Maghrabi, who was one of the initial members of an Al-Qaeda support network in Brazil, Mohamed Sherif Mohamed Awadd, who had received bank transfers from other Al-Qaeda associates in Brazil, and Ahmad Al-Khatib, who is based in Brazil; as well as Awadd and Al-Khatib’s companies. 
“The continued activities of this Brazil-based network demonstrate that Al-Qaeda remains a global terrorist threat (and) the United States is committed to working with our partners, including Brazil, to disrupt Al-Qaeda’s financial support networks,” the statement added.