Al-Barakat - Removal From The UN Terror List

Removal From The UN Terror List

Weaknesses in the case of associating al-Barakaat with terrorist groups emerged early on after thorough investigations were done in the branches and the headquarters of al-Barakaat. The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, which was set up on November 27, 2002, "to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11 attacks", including preparedness for and the immediate response to the attacks, cited 'No Direct Evidence That al-Barakaat Funded Terrorism' and that 'The FBI agent who led the second U.S. delegation said diligent investigation in the UAE revealed no “smoking gun” evidence— either testimonial or documentary — showing that al-Barakaat was funding AIAI or al-Qaeda. In fact, the U.S. team could find no direct evidence at all of any real link between al-Barakaat and terrorism of any type. The two major claims, that Bin Ladin was an early investor in al-Barakaat and that al-Barakaat diverted a certain portion of the money through its system to AIAI or al-Qaeda, could not be verified. Jumale and all the al-Barakaat witnesses denied any ties to al-Qaeda or AIAI, and none of the financial evidence the investigators examined directly contradicted these claims. Moreover, some of the claims made by the early intelligence, such as the assertion that Jumale and Bin Ladin were in Afghanistan together, proved to be wrong.

In October 2009, the Swedish branch of the Somali bank-network al-Barakaat was removed from the United Nations' list of terrorist organizations. The company had been on the list for the past eight years, and had had its bank account funds frozen. According to the Swedish Public Radio broadcaster SR, the UN did not explain why it had elected to remove al-Barakat from its terror list. However, it has been suggested that the recent change in the European Union's position regarding the many organizations "that have been too easily included in the UN terror list" might have influenced the UN's position. Al-Barakat is now also able again to access its bank account funds.

On 17th Feb 2012, all of the al-Barakaat companies were finally removed entirely from the terror list and the case of al-Barakaat was closed as it was delisted by the UN Security Council al-Qaida Sanctions Committee. The delisting included al-Barakaat Group of Companies Owner and CEO Mr. Ahmednur Jim'ale along with all of the 17 listed entities associated with al-Barakaat Group of Companies including Barakaat Bank of Somalia, al-Barakaat Exchange and Barakaat Telecommunications Company.