Australians suspected suspected of supporting Hezbollah

From The Australian, 17/11/06, by Simon Kearney.....

TWO Australian citizens suspected of sending thousands of dollars to Lebanon to help fund Hezbollah during the recent conflict with Israel are being investigated for allegedly breaching terror financing laws.

Australia's anti-money laundering regulator Austrac has identified at least five suspicious transactions involving two people after closely examining every financial transfer between Australia and Lebanon during the 57-day war. Austrac's head of intelligence, John Visser, confirmed that an investigation was under way into a "network" suspected of providing financial assistance to the banned terror organisation, which launched more than 4000 Katyusha rockets into Israel during the conflict, killing 53 people and damaging 2000 homes.

.....But Mr Visser, citing official secrecy, refused to give further details, including whether the people had been arrested or charged with an offence, or the amounts involved. An Australian Federal Police spokesman told The Australian they had not charged anyone in relation to the matter.

....Last year, domestic spy agency ASIO assured federal parliament's joint intelligence committee that the Hezbollah organisation had no active links to Australia.

The head of the Supreme Islamic Shia Council of Australia, Kamal Mousselmani, told The Australian yesterday he had also assured ASIO at the beginning of the conflict that the Shia community would not provide any financial support to Hezbollah. He said his community often sent money to relatives in Lebanon, but not to Hezbollah. He added that he was confident there was no organised financial support for Hezbollah in Australia....