The US, putting pressure on Europe, launches phase II against the Muslim Brotherhood
On 23 July, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Mahmoud al-Abyari, a senior member of the organisation, on charges of providing funding to groups linked to Hamas. A new strategy has been launched to monitor foundations and activities across Europe.
by 24Ore NextMed
Aggiungi Il Sole 24 Oreai preferiti su Google
Key points
The United States is stepping up the pressure on Europe in the most sensitive area of the fight against terrorism: that of money. Not only clandestine channels, but also formally legitimate structures – foundations, associations, charities and commercial companies – suspected of fuelling the networks that support Hamas. The signal from Washington marks a shift in approach: the target is no longer merely military operations or individual cells, but the financial and organisational structure that ensures their survival.
The pro-Hamas network within the EU
The most significant development came on 23 July, when the US Treasury Department announced sanctions against Mahmoud al-Abyari, described as a senior member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and a leading figure within its general secretariat, along with three other individuals and three entities accused of providing material support to Hamas. According to the official US account, al-Abyari and a figure based in the United Kingdom are alleged to have supported fundraising campaigns for organisations already subject to US sanctions due to their links with Hamas. The sanctions also target individuals and organisations operating in Gaza, Turkey and Indonesia, confirming the existence of a network that Washington describes as international and complex. The US authorities speak openly of front charities and financial networks used to channel resources to the military wing of Hamas.
The political message is clear. The United States intends to target not only those who carry out or organise acts of terrorism, but also those who enable such acts to continue through funding, coordination and institutional cover. It is in this regard that Washington appears to be seeking to step up the pressure on its European allies as well.
Financial control through penalties
What makes the picture even more significant is the context outlined by the Financial Action Task Force, which has long been drawing attention to the changing nature of terrorist financing. According to this approach, these flows are becoming less centralised and increasingly dispersed across regional hubs, informal systems, commercial activities and self-financing, in a complex web that makes it more difficult to distinguish between legitimate activities and covert support for armed networks. It is precisely this grey area that explains why US attention is now focused on seemingly legitimate infrastructure.
The new sanctions also strengthen the United States’ extraterritorial reach. Any transaction in US dollars or involving US financial institutions may fall within Washington’s sphere of control, with the risk of secondary sanctions for banks, intermediaries, companies or individuals who continue to maintain relations with the entities targeted. For Europe, and in particular for the United Kingdom, this means that the issue is not only one of political solidarity with the US, but also of maintaining the integrity of its own financial supervisory, regulatory and judicial mechanisms.
