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August 24, 2005

Diamonds Are A Terrorist's Best Friend

According to the Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, there's more coming out of Africa than stories of starvation, AIDS, oppressive governments and insurrection. 

Although the Bush administration has succeeded in reducing international sources of terrorist financing since 9/11, the Lebanese Hezbollah movement is still flush with cash these days. Over the past three years, the militant Shiite organization has managed to strengthen its military apparatus, greatly augment its strategic rocket arsenal, start up Palestinian terrorist cells, and establish a presence in Iraq, while continuing to develop its extensive social welfare network in Lebanon.

....A glimpse into the scale of Hezbollah profits from the diamond trade came in December 2003, when a Union des Transports Africains (UTA) airliner loaded with Lebanese passengers crashed off the coast of Benin - on board, according to news reports and Western diplomats in Sierra Leone, was a Hezbollah courier carrying $2 million.[5]

Whereas Hezbollah derives revenue in Sierra Leone primarily through extortion of Lebanese merchants, in the Congo, which has been wracked by civil war since 1998, Hezbollah operatives "muscled their way into the business" and began purchasing diamonds directly from miners and local middlemen at a fraction of their market value.[6] The highest quality stones are sold in the Belgian diamond marketing hub of Antwerp, while the bulk are sold in emerging diamond markets where the organization can operate more freely, such as Bombay and Dubai.

After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, Belgian intelligence discovered that al-Qaeda had bought up to $20 million worth of diamonds from Samih Osailly, who shipped the gems from RUF-held areas of Sierra Leone through Liberia.[7] Although al-Qaeda and Hezbollah are usually mentioned in the same breath when terrorist links to the diamond trade are discussed, the two organizations have been involved in very different capacities. Al-Qaeda buys diamonds as a way of hiding money (there is no inexpensive and reliable method of tracing their source), while Hezbollah is involved to make money.

Another leak that needs plugging, as it were. Definitely read the entire article, it's profoundly interesting.

Posted by Seth at August 24, 2005 12:01 PM

Comments

Posted by: NYgirl at August 24, 2005 11:12 PM