U.S. Blacklists Alleged Hizbullah Financier Charara
The United States named an alleged financier of the Hizbullah to its sanctions blacklist Thursday in a mounting effort to crack down on the group's financial resources.
The U.S. Treasury said Ali Youssef Charara and his Beirut-based telecommunications company Spectrum Investment Group Holding have received millions of dollars from Hizbullah to invest in commercial projects.
The sanctions freeze any assets of Charara and Spectrum under U.S. jurisdiction and forbid Americans from doing business with them.
It was the first such move since President Barack Obama signed a new law in December making it easier to target Hizbullah's finances.
The United States has officially labeled Hizbullah a terrorist group and has already taken actions against its business network, which spans to West Africa, where Charara has interests in the telecommunications sector, the Treasury said.
Source: Agence France Presse
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