US designates 3 leaders of Indonesian militia

The U.S. designated here Thursday three leading members of an Indonesian-based terrorist group that is responsible for "multiple coordinated attacks" that have resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians, police and military personnel in Indonesia. The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated acting Emir Mohammad Achwan; spokesperson of Jemmah Anshorut Tauhid (JAT) Son Hadi bin Muhadjir; and JAT leader Abdul Rosyid Ridho Ba'asyir, who is involved in recruiting and fundraising activities. The Treasury said in a statement that the three individuals have been designated "for acting for or on behalf" of the group. It added that this action coincides with the action taken today by the U.S. Department of State to designate JAT as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. "JAT is an Indonesia-based terrorist group responsible for multiple coordinated attacks that have resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians, police and military personnel in Indonesia," the statement indicated. According to the statement, the founder and leader of JAT is Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, who is also the co-founder of Jemaah Islamiya (JI), the Southeast Asia-based designated terrorist network with links to al-Qaeda. Director of Treasury's OFAC Adam Szubin said in this regard that by designating the leaders of Jemmah Anshorut Tauhid, OFAC is taking "another step to ensure that terrorists are cut off from the international financial system and find it ever more difficult to carry out their acts of violence, no matter where they are based". As a result of today's action, all property in the U.S. or in the possession or control of U.S. persons in which Mochammad Achwan, Son Hadi bin Muhadjir and Abdul Rosyid Ridho Ba'asyir have an interest is blocked and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.