30 January 2003
Pakistan Group Lashkar I Jhangvi Designated as Terrorist Organization
(Pakistan-based group responsible for Pearl murder, civilian bombings)
(550)
The United States joined the Government of Pakistan in designating
Lashkar I Jhangvi as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, subject to
sanctions under the U.S. Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty
Act.
In a statement released January 30, Secretary of State Colin Powell
said the group was responsible for "numerous deadly attacks,"
including the January 2002 kidnapping and killing of Wall Street
Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.
"The group has perpetrated bus and church bombings. It claimed
responsibility for the 1997 killing of four American oil workers in
Karachi. Lashkar I Jhangvi also attempted to assassinate then
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999," said Powell.
"The Government of Pakistan has already designated the Lashkar I
Jhangvi a terrorist organization, and we look forward to working with
Pakistani authorities to shut this group down," he said.
By being designated as a terrorist organization, Lashkar I Jhangvi's
representatives become ineligible for U.S. visas, its assets will be
blocked by U.S. financial institutions, and U.S. citizens or residents
are prohibited from providing material support to the group.
A separate statement released January 30 by the Treasury Department
said the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act has resulted in
blocking $124.5 million worth of assets of the 258 individuals,
entities and organizations designated as Foreign Terrorist
Organizations, including $36.2 million blocked in the United States
alone.
The full text of the Treasury Department statement can be found at
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/kd3814.htm.
Following is the text of Secretary Powell's statement:
(begin text)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
January 30, 2003
Statement by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
Designation of Lashkar I Jhangvi as a Foreign Terrorist Organization
Today I am taking another important step in our campaign to eliminate
the scourge of terrorism. I am designating the Lashkar I Jhangvi as a
Foreign Terrorist Organization under U.S. law. I am also adding the
group to those already covered by Executive Order 13224.
Lashkar I Jhangvi is a violent Sunni Muslim group located in Pakistan.
It is responsible for numerous deadly attacks, and its involvement in
the January 2002 kidnapping and killing of American journalist Daniel
Pearl has been confirmed. The group has perpetrated bus and church
bombings. It claimed responsibility for the 1997 killing of four
American oil workers in Karachi. Lashkar I Jhangvi also attempted to
assassinate then Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999.
By designating this group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and
publishing that decision today in the Federal Register, we implement
the provisions of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act.
This Act makes it illegal for persons in the United States or subject
to U.S. jurisdiction to provide material support to designated
terrorist groups; it requires U.S. financial institutions to block
assets held by them; and it enables us to deny visas to
representatives of these groups. I made this decision in consultation
with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury after an
exhaustive review of the group's violent activities.
The Government of Pakistan has already designated the Lashkar I
Jhangvi a terrorist organization, and we look forward to working with
Pakistani authorities to shut this group down.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
