Listing of terrorist entities

Prime Minister Helen Clark announced today that the government has listed the following organisation and individuals as terrorist entities pursuant to the provisions of the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002:

Organisation

Djamat Houmat Daawa Salafia (DHDS)

Individuals

Shadi Mohamed Mustafa ABDALLA

Mohamed ABU DHESS

Aschraf AL-DAGMA

Ahmad Fadil Nazal AL-KHALAYLEH

Faraj Farj Hassan AL SAADI

Saifi AMMARI

Cherif Said BEN ABDELHAKIM

Mokhtar BELMOKHTAR

Zarkaoui Imed BEN MEKKI

Hamraoui Kamel BENN MOULDI

Maxamed Cabdullaah CIISE

Radi Abd El Samie Abou El Yazid EL AYASHI

Bouyahia HAMADI

Mohammad Tahir HAMMID

Dawood IBRAHIM

Rihani LOFTI

Daki MOHAMMED

Mohamed Amin MOSTAFA

Djamel MOUSTFA

Nasri Ait El Hadi MUSTAPHA

Saadi NASSIM

Drissi NOUREDDINE

Lazher Ben Khalifa Ben Ahmed ROUINE

Ismail Abdallah Sbaitan SHALABI

Mourad TRABELSI

Helen Clark said that these designations follow a decision by the United Nations Security Council Committee to list the above group and individuals as terrorist entities. These designations take effect immediately for a period of three years, and can be extended.

The decision to proceed with these designations was taken by the Prime Minister, in consultation with the Attorney General, pursuant to the Terrorism Suppression Act.

The organisation Djamat Houmat Daawa Salafia (DHDS) is a splinter group from the Armed Islamic Group (GIA). As such it has links to al-Qaeda, is well organised and equipped with military material, having engaged in terrorist activity in Algeria and internationally, and having been responsible for numerous killings since the mid-1990s.

Shadi Mohamed Mustafa ABDALLA, Mohamed ABU DHESS, Aschraf AL-DAGMA, Ahmad Fadil Nazal AL-KHALAYLEH, Djamel MOUSTFA, and Ismail Abdallah Sbaitan SHALABI are all members of the German cell of Al Tawhid. This organisation has close personal links to the al-Qaeda network, promoting and supporting the “jihad” (holy war), and instructing its members to commit terrorist attacks against Jewish or Israeli facilities in Germany.

Dawood IBRAHIM is one of the pre-eminent criminals in the Indian underworld linked to the al-Qaeda network.

Faraj Farj Hassan AL SAADI, Cherif Said BEN ABDELHAKIM, Zarkaoui Imed BEN MEKKI, Hamraoui Kamel BENN MOULDI, Maxamed Cabdullaah CIISE, Radi Abd El Samie Abou El Yazid EL AYASHI, Bouyahia HAMADI, Mohammad Tahir HAMMID, Rihani LOFTI, Daki MOHAMMED, Mohamed Amin MOSTAFA, Saadi NASSIM, Drissi NOUREDDINE, Lazher Ben Khalifa Ben Ahmed ROUINE, and Mourad TRABELSI are all members of al-Qaeda terrorist cells in Milan, Cremona, and Parma, all linked to the German-based cell of the terrorist group Al Tawhid. They have helped illegal immigration to Italy, and have provided financial and material support for terrorist activities in Italy and elsewhere in Europe and some have also recruited volunteers for military camps in Iraq, organised by the Ansar Al-Islam Group. Most of the fifteen are already in the custody of Italian authorities.

Mokhtar BELMOKHTAR and Nasri Ait El Hadi MUSTAPHA are both involved in the Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC). This group, with ties to al-Qaeda, conducts operations aimed at government and military targets in Algeria. BELMOKHTAR was involved in the kidnapping of European tourists over several weeks in the Sahara Desert between March and August 2003.

Saifi AMMARI was identified by the hostages as the leader of the GSPC group that orchestrated this kidnapping. He is currently wanted by German authorities, charged with being responsible for masterminding, and being the operational leader of these kidnappings in his role as leader of a GSPC region.

Helen Clark indicated that neither the designated group or individuals are known to have any current links to New Zealand.

“Nevertheless designating these entities as terrorists and terrorist entities will serve to deter New Zealanders from becoming inadvertently involved in their activities. It will also make it an offence to participate in Djamat Houmat Daawa Salafia, recruit members for this group, provide or collect funds for this group or make property or financial services available to it. The financing of international terrorism is a matter of grave concern to the international community as a whole and one that New Zealand, as a member of that community, recognises the need to effectively address. These designations assist in that process,” Helen Clark said.

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