US freezes $7.5M of Hezbollah, Hamas accounts

WASHINTON – The United States' economic war against terror intensifies: A recent report submitted to Congress reveals the US Treasury has frozen assets and accounts worth millions belonging to countries and organizations on the State Department's terror list.

According to the report, the organizations included Hezbollah and Hamas, whose $5 million and $2.5 million accounts were frozen respectively.

In addition, some $63,000 linked to the Islamic Jihad were located and frozen, as well as $12,991,696 belonging to al-Qaeda - the State Department's number one terror threat.

All in all, the Treasury located some $21.1 billion belonging to terror organizations in the US in 2011.

This is the 20th year such a report has been submitted to Congress. On the US terror list, Washington has included countries like Iran, Syria, Sudan and Cuba.

Over the course of 2011, some $77.3 million of Syria's accounts have been frozen, $55.4 million of Iran's, $20.9 million of Sudan's and a whopping $245 million of Cuba's accounts.

US officials also froze assets belonging to these four countries, specifically structures used for diplomatic purposes.

According to the report, the US government completely blocked all four countries from making business deals relating to these assets. Over the year, four structures owned by the Syrian government in Washington and New York were frozen, whereas Iran's assets were frozen in Washington, New York, California, Illinois, Maryland and Texas.

Aside from properties directly owned by Iran's government, US officials have tracked down assets controlled by Bank Melli Iran, the Islamic regime's national bank, and properties belonging to the Iranian charity "Alavi Foundation."

The charity owns a number of Islamic centers and an expensive skyscraper in the heart of Manhattan.

Source: Ynetnews