ISLAMABAD, (Reuters) — One
of the men sanctioned by the United States for supporting "the most
dangerous terrorist organizations" in Afghanistan and Pakistan denied on
Friday he was a Taliban financier.Hajji Malik Noorzai told Reuters he was a legitimate Pakistani
businessman trying to turn a profit in countries as far apart as
Afghanistan and Uganda, and someone dedicated to teaching children about
the peaceful religion of Islam.
The Treasury Department accuses him and his brother Faizullah of
raising millions of dollars for the Taliban, running an extremist
religious seminary and storing vehicles for suicide bombings.
On Thursday, it announced sanctions on them and three other
individuals, including Abdul Aziz Abbasin, described as a "key
commander" for the Afghan Taliban-allied Haqqani network.
The move came amid heightened American concerns over the activities
of the Haqqani group, which Washington blames for a September 13 attack
on its embassy in Kabul.
The United States alleges that Pakistan's military intelligence
agency supports the Haqqanis. Noorzai, it says, is an example of how
Afghan militant groups have also managed to secure critical support from
businessmen in the region.
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