Al-Qaeda has finances in Msia: UN report

comments     Yap Mun Ching     Published     Updated

The United Nations Security Council report which ruffled feathers here by linking the Barisan Nasional government to al-Qaeda, also claimed that the terror network had financial interests in Malaysia.

The UN monitoring group, which compiled the report, said the network's financial activities have been traced to Southeast Asia.

It was said to have established front businesses and accounts, seeking charitable and other contributions, as well as engaging in illegal activities in the region.

"Al-Qaeda is suspected of having established logistic and financial support cells in Pakistan, Indonesia, Kashmir, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines," said the report which is available on the Internet.

However, no other details were provided.

Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the government had registered a formal protest with the UN over a chart annexed to the report which drew a link between BN and al-Qaeda.

The link was established through the ruling coalition's alleged support for the Philippine separatist movement, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Also implicated were the Muslim-based opposition party PAS, the Islamic Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim) and the Indian Muslim Congress of Malaysia (Kimma).

The chart was drawn based on extracts from a book, Inside al-Qaeda, global network of terror , by Rohan Gunaratna, a visiting fellow at Singapore's Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies.

Abdullah also said that the government was considering the possibility of taking legal action against Rohan.

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