By Betwa Sharma, IANS,
United Nations : The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has ties with the Taliban and is trying to increase tensions between India and Pakistan, says a UN official dealing with the Al Qaeda and allied groups.
Richard Barrett, coordinator of the UN Sanctions Monitoring Team, told the media that the Pakistan-Afghan border and North Africa, especially Algeria, were the main contributors to the sanctions list for Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives.
Recruits have also increased from Morocco, Tunisia, Mali, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Mauritania, he said.
He said the Lashkar-e-Taiba had ties with the Taliban and was trying to whip up tensions between India and Pakistan. “I think, these groups are a real concern to Pakistan,” he said.
The Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar has repeatedly targeted Indian interests.
Barrett said the Somalia-based Al Shabaab group was not on the list as its closeness to the Al Qaeda had not been established.
On the other hand, members of the Abu Sayyaf group operating in the Mindanao Island in the Philippines had clear links with the Al Qaeda, and had members on the list, he said.
Thomas Mayr-Harting, Austria’s ambassador to the UN and chairman of the Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee, said the sanctions list contains names of dead people and entries with missing information.
“It is not the purpose of the list to contain dead people,” he said, noting that members of the deceased person’s family were unfairly deprived of the assets.
The list contains 513 entries – 402 people and 111 companies – that are faced with sanctions like travel bans, asset freezes and arms embargoes. Thirty-eight people on the list are reported to be dead.
Basic information such as full names and dates of birth of one-third of the people on the list is missing, which makes implementation impossible.
“The fight against terrorism needs to be conducted in full conformity with the principles of rule of law and due process,” he added.
The sanctions committee, established by the Security Council in 1999, is doing a person-by-person review that it expects to complete by the middle of next year.
It is also considering an appeal mechanism for individuals on the list. There have been some 30 cases filed by listed people for alleged violation of their human rights before courts in different countries.
The list includes the names of people and firms that have ties to the Taliban, Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.
Meanwhile, the terror threat is emerging in new venues. “Al Qaeda and Taliban still represent a very real threat,” said the Austrian diplomat, adding, “in new geographical dimensions such as Somalia”.