US removes Vinck and Barakaat international from domestic terrorist list, but not Kadi and Sayadi

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) removed Patricia Rosa Vinck, Barakaat International, and Barakaat International Foundation from its Specially Designated Nationals List on November 3, having found that Vinck and the two entities no longer present a significant threat of supporting terrorism.  Today’s action was taken in conjunction with [...]

State Department Press Statement: The Re-Designation of AQIM as a Foreign Terrorist Organization

Read it here.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights comments to the CTC

Delivered on 29 October 2009. Read them here.

1,600 are suggested daily for FBI’s list

The Washington Post reports that during a 12-month period ended in March this year, the US intelligence community suggested on a daily basis that 1,600 people qualified for the terrorist watch list because they presented a “reasonable suspicion,” according to data provided to the Senate Judiciary Committee by the FBI in September and made public [...]

Department Of Homeland Security Inspector General Report Underscores Flaws In System For Settling Watch List Disputes

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) inspector general issued a report stating that the agency’s process for clearing the names of travelers who have been mistakenly placed on government watch lists provides little or no relief for most travelers and is plagued by delays and inadequate and insecure information technology. The report further concludes that [...]

Pakistan court drops charges against leader of group suspected in Mumbai terror attacks

[JURIST] A Pakistani court on Monday dismissed charges against Islamic cleric Hafiz Muhammad Saeed , the founder and leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), an Islamic group suspected of playing a key role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. A two-judge panel of the Lahore High Court dismissed the charges, which included using language criticizing Pakistan and [...]

Al-Qaida and Taliban Status Check: A Resurgent Threat?

Remarks by Richard Barrett, Coordinator, Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanction Committee, United Nations, at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy

U.S. Delays Somalia Aid, Fearing It Is Feeding Terrorists

American officials are concerned that United Nations contractors may be funneling American donations to the Shabab. United Nations officials say the American government has been withholding millions of dollars in aid shipments while a new set of rules is worked out to better police the distribution of aid the New York Times reports. Last year, [...]

UK Supreme Court deals with al-Qaeda financier as first case

In its first ruling, the new court agreed that the media should be able to identify one of four men appealing against orders freezing their assets.Mr al-Ghabra, 29, from Forest Gate, East London, who has British citizenship, has been named by the US as a terrorism recruiter and fundraiser. He is accused of keeping contact [...]

Sison v Council (Common foreign and security policy) [2009] EUECJ T-341/07 (30 September 2009)

The Court of First Instance has annuled the Council Acts freezing Jose Maria Sison’s funds. (Press release here, judgment here.) From the judgment:
 ”The national decisions relied upon by the Council in order to freeze the applicant’s funds did not relate either to the instigation of investigations or prosecution or to a conviction for terrorist activity, contrary [...]