U.S. Names Pakistan School As ‘Terror Training Center’

@AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The U.S. Treasury on Tuesday set economic sanctions on a Pakistan Islamic school it branded a “terrorist training center” supporting Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

The Treasury said the Ganj madrassa in Peshawar was being used as a training and recruiting base by the two militant groups, as well as the radical Lashkar-e-Taiba blamed for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.

The head of the madrassa, Fazeel-A-Tul Shaykh Abu Mohammed Ameen Al-Peshawari, known as Shaykh Aminullah, has been a U.S. and UN-designated terrorist since 2009, for his support for Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

But it was the first time a madrassa — generally, schools managed under Islamic principles — has been the target of sanctions, which forbid any Americans from having any business interaction with it, and freeze any of its assets that come under U.S. jurisdiction.

“Today’s action is the first designation of a madrassa that is being abused by terrorist organizations,” the Treasury said in a statement.

“This action does not generally target madrassas, which often play an essential role in improving literacy and providing humanitarian and developmental aid in many areas of the world, including Pakistan.”

It said the Ganj school is a place “where students, under the guise of religious studies, have been radicalized to conduct terrorist and insurgent activities.”

In addition, the Treasury set sanctions on Umar Siddique Kathio Azmarai, who it said has served as a facilitator and courier in the Al- Qaeda organization since the late 1990s, including providing support for the family of the now-dead Osama bin Laden.

Start your day with National Memo Newsletter

Know first.

The opinions that matter. Delivered to your inbox every morning

Joe Biden
President Joe Biden

Last week,The Economist's presidential polling average set in motion a reevaluation of the general election when President Joe Biden pulled ahead of Donald Trump for the first time since September 2023.

Keep reading...Show less
Alex Jones

Alex Jones

At a press conference on Tuesday, March 26, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told reporters that there was no sign of terrorism or foul play in the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge — which had been struck by a freighter. According to Moore and the Biden White House, there was no indication that it was anything other than a tragic accident.

Keep reading...Show less
{{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}