Mumbai Attack Militants Targeted With UN Sanctions

Dec. 11 (Bloomberg) -- A United Nations Security Council panel placed sanctions on four members of Lashkar-e-Taiba,

the Pakistani militant group blamed for last month’s Mumbai attack, and named an Islamic charity as one of its front organizations.

Zaki ur-Rehman Lakhvi, identified by India as the senior plotter of the attack, and Lashkar’s founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, were among the four men listed for sanctions, including an asset freeze and travel ban, according to the U.S. State Department.

The Security Council’s al-Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee, acting after requests from India and the U.S., described the Pakistan-based charity Jamaat ud-Dawa as an alias for Lashkar-e-Taiba.

“These actions will limit the ability of known terrorists to travel, acquire weapons, plan, carry out, or raise funds for new terrorist attacks,” the State Department said.

Lakhvi is among at least 16 people arrested by Pakistani authorities following the Nov. 26-29 assault on Mumbai that left 163 people dead. The U.S. Treasury Department earlier this year described him as an important fundraiser and trainer for Lashkar-e-Taiba, which means the Army of the Pure.

Haji Muhammad Ashraf, the group’s finance chief, and Mahmoud Mohammad Ahmed Bahaziq, a fundraiser, were also listed for sanctions. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on all four in May.

Listing Aliases

The UN sanctions committee also listed aliases for the Al Rashid and Al Akhtar Trusts, which have raised funds for Lashkar.

Jamaat ud-Dawa, which means Society of the Call, was spun off from Lashkar as a religious foundation when the guerrilla group was banned by Pakistan’s government in 2002.

Yahya Mujahid, a spokesman for the foundation, earlier this month denied it was involved in the Mumbai assault and described it as a welfare organization involved in relief work.

Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said yesterday the sophistication of the attack on Mumbai indicated Lashkar-e-Taiba can operate at a “much higher level” than military officials thought before the assault.

Mullen praised Pakistan’s government for talking what he called the “first steps” toward shutting down the group.

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