U.S., Canada: Pro-Palestinian group really 'sham charity' that supports terrorism

Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The United States and Canada on Tuesday announced a joint sanction of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network as an alleged fundraiser for terrorist activities.

The SPPSN is a "sham charity that serves as an international fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist organization," the State Department said Tuesday in a news release .

"The PFLP uses Samidoun to maintain fundraising operations in both Europe and North America," the State Department said. "The United States will continue to disrupt sham organizations that function under the guise of humanitarian organizations while funding terrorism."

The State Department in 1997 designated the PFLP a foreign terrorist organization and in 2001 a specially designated global terrorist organization.

The United States and Canada also sanctioned PFLP leadership member Khaled Barakat, who plays a "critical" role in helping Samidoun raise money for the PFLP and terrorist activities, the U.S. Department of Treasury said Tuesday in a news release .

"Organizations like Samidoun masquerade as charitable actors that claim to provide humanitarian support to those in need, yet in reality divert funds for much-needed assistance to support terrorist groups," said Bradley Smith , U.S. under secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

The Canadian government on Friday designated Samidoun a "terrorist entity," and Canadian law bans terrorist entities from financing terrorist organizations or selling property belonging to terrorist groups.

"Today's joint action with the U.S. sends a strong message that our two nations will not tolerate this type of activity and will do everything in our power to ensure robust measures are in place to address terrorist financing," said Dominic LeBlanc, Canadian Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs.

The Israeli government recently named six nongovernmental Palestinian organizations as terrorist groups.

Those organizations are Addameer, al-Haq, Defense for Children Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, Bisan Center for Research and Development, and the Union of Palestinian Women Committees.