Friday, January 21, 2022

Sanctioning International Hizballah Network

01/21/2022 02:14 PM EST

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

The United States is designating Hizballah-affiliated financial facilitator Adnan Ayad, as well as members of an international network of facilitators and companies connected to him and to Adel Diab, Ayad's business partner and fellow Hizballah financier.  Diab was designated on January 18 of this year.

Adnan Ayad, Jihad Adnan Ayad, Ali Adel Diab, and 10 companies are designated under Executive Order 13224, as amended, which targets terrorists, leaders, and officials of terrorist groups, and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism, among others.

These financial facilitators have helped Hizballah obtain funds through networks of companies that disguise themselves as legitimate businesses.  The sanctions evasion efforts of those designated today are a stark example of how Hizballah abuses the international financial system to fund its acts of terrorism and illicit activities.

The United States is committed to disrupting Hizballah's illicit activity, including attempts to evade sanctions through business networks.  Hizballah's actions threaten the security, stability, and sovereignty of the Lebanese people.

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Sanctioning Hizballah Financiers in Lebanon

01/18/2022 02:05 PM EST

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

The United States is designating three Hizballah-linked financial facilitators and their Lebanon-based travel company. We are taking this action in solidarity with the Lebanese people, whose security and sovereignty remains threatened by Hizballah's corrupt and destabilizing activities.

Individuals Adel Diab, Ali Mohamad Daoun, and Jihad Salem Alame, and business Dar Al Salam for Travel & Tourism were designated under Executive Order 13224, as amended, which targets terrorists, leaders, and officials of terrorist groups, and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.

As the Lebanese people suffer an economic crisis of historic proportions, Hizballah continues to engage in illicit activity and amass wealth at the expense of the Lebanese people. It is clear Hizballah and its associates are more concerned with advancing their own interests and those of their patron, Iran, than the best interests of the Lebanese people. For more information on today's action, please see the Department of the Treasury's press release.

Treasury Sanctions Hizballah Financiers in Lebanon

January 18, 2022

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated three Hizballah-linked financial facilitators and their Lebanon-based travel company. Specifically, OFAC designated Adel Diab, Ali Mohamad Daoun, Jihad Salem Alame, and their company, Dar Al Salam for Travel & Tourism. This action comes at a time in which the Lebanese economy faces an unprecedented crisis and Hizballah, as part of Lebanon's government, is blocking economic reforms and inhibiting much needed change for the Lebanese people.

The United States designated Hizballah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on October 8, 1997 and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on October 31, 2001. Hizballah's widespread network of financial facilitators has helped the group exploit Lebanon's financial resources and survive the current economic crisis. Through businessmen like those designated today, Hizballah gains access to material and financial support through the legitimate commercial sector to fund its acts of terrorism and attempts to destabilize Lebanon's political institutions. The designations of the individuals and entity described below demonstrate Treasury's ongoing efforts to target Hizballah's continued attempts to exploit the global financial sector and evade sanctions.

"With this action, Treasury is disrupting businessmen who raise and launder funds for Hizballah's destabilizing activities while the Lebanese people face worsening economic and humanitarian crises," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. "Hizballah claims it supports the Lebanese people, but just like other corrupt actors in Lebanon that Treasury has designated, Hizballah continues to profit from insulated business ventures and backdoor political deals, amassing wealth that the Lebanese people never see."

Adel Diab, Ali Mohamad Daoun, Jihad Salem Alame, and Dar Al Salam for Travel & Tourism were designated under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, which targets terrorists, leaders, and officials of terrorist groups, and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.
 

DIAB, DAOUN, AND ALAME'S SUPPORT FOR HIZBALLAH

Adel Diab (Diab) is a Hizballah member and Lebanese businessman who used his business to raise funds for Hizballah and facilitate Hizballah's activities. Diab has jointly owned assets with Ali Al Sha'ir, an assistant to Hizballah fundraiser Hasib Muhammad Hadwan, a member of Hizballah's General Secretariat, who works with Hizballah Secretary General Hasan Nasrallah. Both Al-Sha'ir and Hadwan were designated by OFAC in 2021 for their Hizballah-related activities. Diab is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Hizballah.

Ali Mohamad Daoun (Daoun) is a Hizballah official who is in charge of the second district for Hizballah. Daoun is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Hizballah.

OFAC is also designating Hizballah member Jihad Salem Alame (Alame) for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Hizballah.

Diab, Daoun, and Alame together are the founders and partners of Dar Al Salam for Travel & Tourism, a Lebanon-based travel agency that they own and operate. Dar Al Salam for Travel & Tourism is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, directly or indirectly, Daoun.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the individuals and entity named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, must be blocked and reported to OFAC. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or otherwise exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within the United States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.

Furthermore, engaging in certain transactions with the individuals and entities designated today entails risk of secondary sanctions pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended. Pursuant to this authority, OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducted or facilitated any significant transaction on behalf of a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
 

Additionally, Daoun and Dar Al Salam for Travel & Tourism are subject to the Hizballah Financial Sanctions Regulations, which implement the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015, as amended by the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2018. Pursuant to these authorities, OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that, among other things, knowingly facilitates a significant transaction for Hizballah or certain persons designated for their connection to Hizballah.

For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, please refer to OFAC's Frequently Asked Question 897. Additional information regarding sanctions programs administered by OFAC.

View identifying information on the individuals and entities designated today.

Saturday, January 15, 2022

Senator Ted Cruz, Jan 14 2022

Exceptionally poor advice. Lebanon should absolutely worry about violating US sanctions. So should every other country involved. Congress isn't going to allow Team Biden to enrich Iran's proxies, especially not bloody tyrants like Assad. US sanctions will be enforced.
https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1482042295532851201

Friday, January 14, 2022

Ambassador Dorothy C. Shea Statement at the Grand Serail

By U.S. Embassy Beirut | 14 January, 2022 |
I just met with His Excellency, the Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, and I was able to convey to him an official written communication from the U.S. Department of the Treasury that answered some of the concerns that the authorities had. They wanted to make sure that in pursuing the regional energy deals, that the United States has been helping to facilitate – and encourage – between Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan that there would be no concerns with U.S. sanctions' legislation.
This letter that was delivered represents forward momentum, an important milestone as we continue to make progress to bring safer, cleaner, more reliable and more sustainable energy solutions to help address the energy crisis that the Lebanese people have been experiencing.
Thank you very much.