Saudi Gazette report

WASHINGTON — The United States has blacklisted a Turkey-based Al-Qaeda financial facilitator and a Syria-based terrorist fundraiser for Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS).

In a statement on Wednesday, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said that these designations expose the continued efforts by Al-Qaeda and HTS to use the global formal financial system and highlight the need for continued vigilance against terrorist fundraising and recruitment on the internet.

“Terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and HTS continue to raise funds, recruit online, and exploit the international banking sector to support their ongoing terrorist activities,” said Office of Foreign Assets Control Director Andrea Gacki. “These designations underscore this Administration’s commitment to disrupting support networks of al-Qa’ida and other terrorist groups that seek to attack the United States and its allies.”

Commenting on the sanctions, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement on Wednesday, saying: "Terrorist groups, such as Al-Qaeda and HTS, continue to exploit the global financial system to support their violent extremist activities.

"Today’s designations underscore the need for continued vigilance against terrorist fundraising and recruitment, including through the internet. These designations also demonstrate our commitment to disrupting the support networks of Al-Qaeda, HTS, and other terrorist groups that seek to attack the United States and our allies," Blinken added in the statement.

The individuals who were blacked by the US on Wednesday are Hasan Al-Shaban and Farrukh Furkatovitch Fayzimatov.

Al-Shaban’s banking information was provided by an Al-Qaeda fundraiser to prospective donors as a way for them to send money to support Al-Qaeida military efforts and the so-called mujahideen fighting in Syria.

Members of Al-Qaeda utilized bank accounts associated with Al-Shaban to coordinate the movement of money from associates across North Africa, Western Europe, and North America, and separately used Al-Shaban to coordinate the transfer of funds to Turkey.

Meanwhile, Fayzimatov utilizes social media to post propaganda, recruit new members, and solicit donations for HTS. Fayzimatov organized community fundraising campaigns to purchase equipment for the benefit of HTS, including motorbikes.