17 August 2009

INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN No. 267

Title: New Patterns in Al-Qaeda Financing

Date: August 15, 2009

THREAT LEVEL: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

THE INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN PROVIDES LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS WITH SITUATIONAL AWARENESS CONCERNING INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC TERRORIST GROUPS AND TACTICS.

HANDLING NOTICE: Recipients are reminded that FBI Intelligence Bulletins contain sensitive terrorism and counterterrorism information meant for use primarily within the law enforcement community. Such Bulletins are not to be released either in written or oral form to the media, the general public, or other personnel who do not have a valid “need-to-know” without prior approval from an authorized FBI official.

Since September 11, 2001, multinational efforts have helped to disrupt Al-Qaeda’s financial network and led to the capture of several Al-Qaeda financial officers and financiers. As a result, Al-Qaeda cells may have to raise operational funds locally. Such a shift in Al-Qaeda financing tactics would present potential opportunities for law enforcement. While the disruption of Al-Qaeda’s financial network is an important counterterrorism success, Al-Qaeda has proven to be a flexible organization capable of adapting to changes in its operating environment. Over the past few years, similar disruptions of Al-Qaeda’s communications networks, the capture of senior Al-Qaeda members, and the constricted mobility of other senior members have forced Al-Qaeda to become more decentralized and devolve some operational decisions to the local level. Al-Qaeda may react to the disruption of its central financial networks by encouraging its operatives to raise funds locally. Al-Qaeda operatives may resort to theft or fraud as they attempt to obtain funds locally, and local law enforcement officials will be key to detecting and disrupting their efforts. In the past, law enforcement officials have confronted similar situations with Hizballah and HAMAS financing in the United States. The law enforcement community has periodically identified HAMAS- and Hizballah-linked individuals and organizations that may have been funneling funds from criminal activities to those terrorist groups. Recipients should immediately report suspicious or criminal activities potentially related to terrorism to their local FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. FBI regional phone numbers can be found online at http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm.

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