The US has begun to squeeze the funding and flow of money to terrorist organisations in the Af-Pak region including the Taliban, al Qaeda, the Haqqani network and Laskhar-e-Taiba, and keeping a tab on "hawala" transactions, a top Obama Administration official has said.
US has identified countries in the Middle East as a major source of funding to extremists organisations in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
To stem the flow of cash to terrorists, the US has set up an inter-agency task force headed by Treasury Department, which is monitoring appeals for funding by these groups all over the globe.
The US has said that most of the terrorist funding is being routed through the "hawala" network and the fund squeezing is being done quietly.
"Working closely with Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, Treasury is deeply involved in the effort to deny financial support to Taliban, al Qaida, the Haqqani network, LeT and other terrorist groups active in that region," Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing David Cohen said.
Since being appointed as the Special Envoy to AfPak, Holbrooke has made several trips to Middle East in this connection, Cohen said at a Money Laundering Enforcement Conference on Tuesday. PTI
