U.S. - begins to unravel Hamas's funding sources and ascertains an investment list

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

ハマスの資金源の解明に着手、投資先リストも把握へ　米

2023.10.28 Sat posted at 16:30 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 米情報機関と法執行機関が、イスラム組織「ハマス」の活動資金集めや得ている支援内容の実態を把握する調査を新たに始めたことが２８日までにわかった。

元職や現職の複数の米政府当局者がＣＮＮに明らかにした。米国内にも浸透しているハマスの活動の形態も調査対象にする。

今回の調査は、パレスチナ自治区ガザ地区を実効支配するハマスとイスラエルの軍事衝突を受け、ハマスやレバノンを拠点にするイスラム教シーア派武装組織「ヒズボラ」が及ぼす脅威について米情報機関などが現在進めているより広範な再評価作業の一環。

ハマスとヒズボラにはいずれもイランが肩入れしている。ヒズボラは中東で最も強力な民兵組織の一つと受け止められている。

ハマスが米国内に支援者のネットワークを築き、主に資金集めに活用していることは長い間知られていた。同組織の活動上の主眼は伝統的にイスラエルへの攻撃だったため、米政府当局はハマスが米国の権益や米本土へ攻撃を仕掛ける可能性は少ないとの判断に落ち着いていた。

米政府当局者の１人は、ハマスによるイスラエルへの大規模奇襲が今月７日に起きるまで、ハマスの米国内での活動の目的は「資金収集」と位置づけてもいた。大規模奇襲がきっかけとなった情勢の急変で軌道修正を迫られ、米の法執行機関などがハマスの資金源の解明などに全面的に取り組む格好となった。

米政府当局者はまた、ハマスが保持する預金、株式、債券や不動産など「秘密」の投資先リストや金融商品リストの究明作業を強化していることも明らかにした。これら資産は４億米ドル（約６００億円）から１０億ドルまでの範囲にあるとされ、ハマスにとっては相当な規模の収入源になっているとみている。

この究明作業では米財務省が、サウジアラビアやカタール、クウェートなどで組織する「湾岸協力会議」（ＧＣＣ）と協力。米国、サウジ両国当局者は最近、首都リヤドでテロ資金調達の封じ込めを狙う組織「ＴＦＴＣ」の緊急会合を招集した。

ＴＦＴＣには米国とＧＣＣ加盟国が参加し、２０１７年に創設された。米政府当局者によると、ハマスやヒズボラに加え、イランが支援する過激派組織に絡む資金の流れなどの追跡を加速している。関連性があり、時期を得た実用的な情報の共有などを進めているという。

この中で米財務省は最近、ハマスの「秘密」の投資先リストを管理していたとする人物に制裁を科した。世界規模で展開している投資の形態には「合法的な事業推進を装った」企業などが含まれるとされ、スーダン、アルジェリア、トルコ、アラブ首長国連邦（ＵＡＥ）や他の国で活動しているという。

Translation

(CNN) It was revealed on the 28th that U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies had begun a new investigation into the Islamic organization Hamas' fundraising efforts and the supports it received.

This was confirmed to CNN by multiple former and current U.S. government officials. The scope of the investigation would also include the forms of Hamas activities that had penetrated the United States.

The investigation currently underway by U.S. intelligence agencies was part of a wider reassessment exercise regarding the threat posed by Hamas and Hezbollah which was a Shiite Islamic militant group based in Lebanon, following the military conflicts between Israel and Hamas that effectively controlling the Gaza Strip.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah were supported by Iran. Hezbollah was considered one of the most powerful militias in the Middle East.

It had long been known that Hamas had built a network of supporters in the United States which it used primarily to raise funds. Because the group's main focus had traditionally been attacking Israel, U.S. officials concluded that Hamas was unlikely to launch an attack on U.S. interests or the U.S. mainland.

One U.S. government official said that until Hamas's large-scale surprise attack on Israel occurred on the 7th of this month, the purpose of Hamas's activities in the United States was merely defined as "fund collection." The sudden change in the situation triggered by the large-scale surprise attack forced a course correction, and U.S. law enforcement agencies began a full-scale effort to uncover Hamas's funding sources.

U.S. officials also said they were stepping up efforts to uncover a list of "secret" investments and financial products held by Hamas, including deposits, stocks, bonds and real estate. These assets were said to be worth between US$400 million (approximately 60 billion yen) and US$1 billion, and were believed to be a significant source of income for Hamas.

In this investigation, the U.S. Treasury Department cooperated with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), an organization made up of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and other countries. U.S. and Saudi officials recently convened in the capital Riyadh an emergency meeting of the TFTC, a group that aimed to contain terrorist financing.

The TFTC was established in 2017 with the participation of the United States and GCC member countries. U.S. officials said they were accelerating their efforts to track financial flows connected to Iran-backed extremist groups, as well as Hamas and Hezbollah. They were working to share relevant, timely, and practical information.

The U.S. Treasury Department recently imposed sanctions on people it said were responsible for maintaining a "secret" list of Hamas investments. It was said that the types of investments that were taking place on a global scale included companies ``disguised as legitimate business promotions,'' operating in Sudan, Algeria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other countries.

              So, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies have begun a new investigation into the Islamic organization Hamas' fundraising efforts and the supports it receives. Because the group's focus has traditionally been to attack Israel, U.S. officials have concluded that Hamas is unlikely to launch an attack on the U.S. Now they are under the scrutiny of the US.

 Note:

The Task Force on Tax and Crime (TFTC) supports jurisdictions efforts to combat tax crimes through implementation of the "Oslo Dialogue"—a policy initiative launched in 2013 to promote a 'whole of government' approach to fighting tax crime and other financial crimes through standard setting, sharing of best practices, and capacity building. The OECD (the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) is uniquely positioned to lead change in this field owing to its leading role in each of these areas. (https://www.oecd.org/fr/fiscalite/delits/tftc-strategy-and-direction.htm)