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US Slaps Sanctions on Yemeni Money Exchange for Helping al-Qaida


FILE - The U.S. Treasury Building in Washington, D.C.
FILE - The U.S. Treasury Building in Washington, D.C.

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on a Yemeni money exchange and the two brothers who own it for doing business with the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula terrorist group.

U.S. assets belonging to the al-Omgy and Brothers Money Exchange are frozen, and Americans are now barred from doing business with it.

The al-Omgy exchange and its owners "are responsible for financially facilitating and supporting AQAP in its violent attacks," said Adam Szubin, the U.S. Treasury's top terrorism official. "Treasury will continue to work with our allies to protect the international financial system by exposing and taking action against AQAP supporters."

FILE - Nasr al-Ansi, a leader of the Yemeni branch of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, is shown on televisions at a shop, delivering a message in which AQAP claims responsibility for the attack on the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, in Sana'a, Yemen, Jan. 14, 2015.
FILE - Nasr al-Ansi, a leader of the Yemeni branch of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, is shown on televisions at a shop, delivering a message in which AQAP claims responsibility for the attack on the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, in Sana'a, Yemen, Jan. 14, 2015.

Treasury said the exchange holds al-Qaida accounts, including money the terrorists extorted from Yemeni businesses.

It also said the brothers who operate the money exchange, Said Salih and Muhammad Salih Abd-Rabbuh al-Omgy, have been involved in recruiting fighters and smuggling weapons for AQAP.

The United Arab Emirates recently imposed similar sanctions against the al-Omgy brothers and their business.

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