S'pore questions UN on al-Qaeda
S'pore questions UN on al-Qaeda
Agencies, Singapore
Singapore took issue on Monday with a draft United Nations report
that describes the city state as a place where the al-Qaeda
network is receiving financial support, saying the claims were
unsubstantiated.
"The report did not contain any details or mention any
specific investments from Singapore that are linked to al-Qaeda,"
the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The United Nations report said efforts to free al-Qaeda's
funds around the world were sloppy and it named Singapore as one
of the countries where the group, blamed for the Sept. 11 air
attacks on the United States, has investments and bank accounts.
"We will contact the (UN) Monitoring Group to find out the
basis of its comments, which have not been substantiated in the
report" a spokesman from the ministry said in the statement on
Saturday.
The UN report said al-Qaeda had investments in Mauritius,
Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Panama and bank accounts
in Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Malaysia and Vienna.
The UN draft report was released on Thursday and will be
presented this week to the Security Council committee monitoring
sanctions.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Friday that
Malaysian financial authorities have no evidence to back the
report.
The report was made for a Security Council committee enforcing
a financial, travel and arms embargo against al-Qaeda and
Afghanistan's now-ousted Taliban rulers.
The draft report said al-Qaeda is receiving financial support
from Osama bin Laden's personal inheritance and investments, from
its own members and supporters and from charitable organizations.
Estimates of the portfolio's value ranges between US$30
million and $300 million, it said.
"We will contact (the United Nations) monitoring group to find
out the basis of its comments, which have not been
substantiated," the ministry statement said.
Under a UN Security Council resolution adopted unanimously in
January, all nations are required to freeze the finances and
impose arms embargoes and travel bans on individuals and groups
associated with bin Laden, al-Qaeda, and the Taliban.
Singapore insists it has done its part and noted on Monday
that it arrested 13 men in December who were members of Jemaah
Islamiyah, a local terrorist cell that is believed to have links
to al-Qaeda. The men are accused of allegedly plotting to bomb
U.S. targets in Singapore.
"We want to emphasize that Singapore is fully committed to the
global anti-terrorism campaign," the statement said.
Singapore had taken "all necessary measures" to implement the
security council's counter terrorism resolutions and that it was
"working closely with countries in the region on practical
measures to combat terrorism," it said.