How-Al-Qaeda-paymasters-living-freely-Qatar-despite-Gulf-state-s-claim-doesn-t-support-terrorists.html

Khalifa al-Subaiy and Abd al-Nuaymi are allegedly living freely in Qatar
The terrorist bankers residence has been confirmed by a U.S. official
U.S. Treasury said it could not disclose classified information on men
Al-Nuaymi added to suspects list with financial sanctions in UK last month
Qatar says it condones jihadists in Iraq and Syria operating out of Gulf
Adds to calls by UK Government to put pressure on Qatar to crack down

Published: 02:01 GMT, 16 November 2014 | Updated: 09:02 GMT, 16 November 2014

Two senior terrorist financiers are alleged to be living freely in Qatar - despite the Gulf state's claim that it does not support terrorist groups.

Khalifa Muhammad Turki al-Subaiy and Abd al-Rahman bin Umayr al Nuaymi are reportedly living in the country's capital Doha, according to a U.S. official.

In a transcript of a keynote speech in Washington, obtained by the Sunday Telegraph, David Cohen - the under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence - confirmed their residence.

Senior terrorist bankers Khalifa al-Subaiy (left) and Abd al-Nuaymi (right) are allegedly living freely in Qatar

He said: 'There are U.S. and UN-designated terrorist financiers in Qatar that have not been acted against under Qatari law.

'There's Khalifa al-Subaiy and more recently Abd al-Nuaymi, who we designated last December, the UN designated in August.'

He accused Qatar and its near neighbour Kuwait of being 'permissive jurisdictions for terrorist financing' - but so far the fate of these bankers has not been known.

However, the U.S. Treasury told the newspaper it could not disclose further classified information on the men.

Al-Nuaymi, 60, was last month added to a list of suspects targeted with financial sanctions in the UK after the Government confirmed he is banned from doing business in Britain.

It comes 10 months after the US authorities imposed sanctions on him, saying al-Nuaymi was a 'terrorist financier and facilitator who has provided money and material support and conveyed communications to Al Qaeda and its affiliates in Syria, Iraq, Somalia and Yemen for more than a decade'.

The pair are said to be living in Doha - the country's capital - where they have evaded prison and being added to the country's designated terrorist list. Qatar claims to condone jihadists operating out of the Gulf

The US Treasury said he was 'considered among the most prominent Qatar-based supporters of Iraqi Sunni extremists' and 'reportedly oversaw the transfer of over 2 million US dollars (£1.25 million) per month to al-Qaeda in Iraq for a period of time'.

Al-Nuayami has denied breaking the law and maintained he is being persecuted over criticism on US policy in the region.

While al-Subaiy, 49, who was a former employee at Qatari Central Bank, was outed as a terrorist fundraiser in 2008 when he allegedly served a brief prison sentence.

According to the official U.S report he has 'provided financial support to Al Qaeda' on behalf of the group's senior leaders, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

It is thought he lived freely in the Gulf state for a number of years in the nineties while he was wanted for terrorist offences in America.

They have reportedly raised millions of dollars for terrorists including jihadists groups such as ISIS (pictured holding Al Qaeda flag) in Iraq and Syria

The pair are accused of raising millions of dollars for Al Qaeda and other jihadist groups and sending it to them in Syria and Iraq.

While it is alleged that both men have been kept out of jail thanks to their links with senior figures in Qatar.

Qatar, which has huge investments in the UK, insists it does not support jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq operating out of the Gulf.

The country introduced a designated terrorist list but so far not one person has been added to it.

The revelation adds to growing demands on the British Government to put pressure on Qatar to crack down on terrorist paymasters after the murders of two British aid workers in Syria.

David Haines and Alan Henning were killed by members of ISIS in September and October this year.

Mr Cohen added that the U.S. would continue to work with its partners in the Gulf on the issue.