BI won't freeze bin Laden's assets

BI won't freeze bin Laden's assets

Bank Indonesia has refused to freeze financial assets linked
to Osama bin Laden as demanded by the U.S. government, according
to Antara news agency.

Antara quoted on Friday central bank Governor Sjahril Sabirin
as saying that according to existing banking law, Bank Indonesia
could only freeze bank accounts if a banking crime had been
committed.

A senior U.S. official had met with Sjahril to discuss the
possibility of freezing the local financial assets of bin Laden,
the prime suspect for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York
and Washington.

Following the Sept. 11 attacks, the U.S. government began
preparations for a war on terrorism.

U.S. President George W. Bush has called on countries around
the globe to isolate terrorists from their funding sources by
freezing financial assets belonging to them.

The U.S. government issued a list of 26 terrorist-related
organizations to which Bush's executive order applies.

Included in the list is Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.

Bush has threatened to take action against financial
authorities should they fail to seek out and freeze assets of the
suspected terrorists. -- JP