(New York Times) - President Bush ordered the Treasury Department Friday to freeze the assets of six top leaders of the militant Palestinian group Hamas and five charities based outside the U.S. that administration officials said help finance Hamas. It is the first time that the U.S. has tried to shut down the political wing that provides social services and relief assistance. Hamas has close ties to Arab leaders throughout the Middle East, and many of its biggest financial supporters come from the wealthy elite of Saudi Arabia.
2003-08-25 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive