Bosnia probes charities over possible terror links

Bosnia probes charities over possible terror links: report
Agence France Presse (English) - June 30, 2006 Friday 11:35 AM GMT

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Hercegovina, June 30 2006 - Bosnian authorities are probing several charities over possible links with organisations suspected of financing international terrorist groups, a report said Friday.

"Several humanitarian organisations had been making suspicious financial transactions and they are being probed," an anonymous source from the state attorney's office told the Nezavisne Novine independent daily.

The state attorney's office refused to comment the allegations.

According to the paper, the Kuwait-based charitable group Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) had "transferred millions (of euros) to the account of its Bosnian branch," which has the same name.

The RIHS figures among the organisations whose assets were frozen by the United States in 2002 in a bid to crack down on terrorist financing.

The Bosnian branch of the humanitarian organisation Dar el Bir, based in the the United Arab Emirates, is also being investigated.

"Significant amounts had been transferred on (Bosnia's) account of this organisation but it has not been established who made the payments or how the money was spent," the daily said.

Bosnia came under the spotlight after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States due to the presence in the ex-Yugoslav republic of former fighters from Islamic countries.

Hundreds of them joined the mainly Muslim Bosnian army during the country's 1992-1995 war. Although under the peace deal they were ordered to leave some stayed after obtaining Bosnian citizenship.

During the war a number of humanitarian organisations from Muslim countries opened branch offices in Bosnia.

As part of their anti-terrorism efforts Bosnian authorities closed in 2002 branch offices of several charities suspected of financing terrorist activities and started to control more thoroughly the others.

Six terror suspects of Arab origin linked to the Al-Qaeda terror network were arrested in Bosnia and handed over to US authorities in 2002.