US Freezes Assets of Two Sikh Groups
June 27
Washington D.C.
(Reuters) -- The United States has added two Sikh separatist groups to its
list of "specially designated global terrorist" entities, extending
the U.S. "war on terrorism" into new territory.
The listing in Washington means that financial institutions in the United
States must freeze the assets of the groups. It also brings U.S. policy in
line with the European Union, which declared them terrorist groups on June
19.
The groups' leaders are on a list of 20 suspects India wants Pakistani President
Pervez Musharraf to hand over for trial.
The groups are Babbar Khaalsaa and the International Sikh Youth Foundation,
the Office of Foreign Assets Control in the U.S. Treasury Department said.
The ISYF is more usually known as a federation but the Treasury Department
website referred to it as a foundation.
They are the first Sikh groups designated by the United States in any category
of "terrorist" organization.
Dozens of militant groups have been blacklisted in the United States since
followers of Osama bin Laden, the Saudi exile and Islamic militant, were accused
of killing about 3,000 people in three American states with hijacked planes.