[Reuters] Adam Entous - A U.S.-backed campaign against Hamas is being expanded to include Islamic charities that helped propel it to power. The bank accounts of the al-Salah Association, one of the largest Islamic charities in Gaza, were frozen earlier this month by Palestinian banks after the U.S. government designated it a "key support node for Hamas." Matthew Levitt, a former U.S. Treasury official now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said a crackdown on Islamic charities in Gaza could have a large impact. "Hamas has multiple ways to raise and launder funds but none are as effective as the social welfare structure. The Hamas charity system is the secret to its success," Levitt said.
2007-08-21 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive