US targets 2 Lebanese charities over Hamas links; calls Yemen group an al-Qaida alias
WASHINGTON – The Obama administration is imposing sanctions on two Lebanon-based charities it says are controlled by Hamas.
The Treasury Department says any assets in the U.S. held by al-Waqfiya and al-Quds are now frozen. Americans cannot donate to them.
The department says both groups exist to support families of Hamas fighters and prisoners and programs designed to spread Hamas’ influence in the Palestinian territories.
Hamas doesn’t recognize Israel. The U.S. considers it a terrorist organization.
Also Thursday, the State Department declared Yemen-based Ansar al-Sharia a terrorist body, calling it an alias of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
The organization is distinct from the Libyan-based militant group of the same name, which has been identified as a potential suspect in the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi.
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