The United States imposed sanctions on two Qatar-based financiers on Wednesday for what it described as their support for Qaeda extremists in Syria, Pakistan and Sudan.
In a statement, the Treasury Department said one of the Qataris, identified as Sa’d bin Sa’d Muhammad Shariyan al-Ka’bi, had been involved in fund-raising and collecting a hostage ransom for Al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, the Nusra Front.
The other Qatari, identified as Abd al-Latif Bin ’Abdallah Salih Muhammad al-Kawari, was accused by the Treasury of collecting financial support for Al Qaeda and serving as a security official for the group.
The Treasury action impounds any assets the pair may have under American jurisdiction and prohibits them from any commercial dealings with United States citizens.
The action was notable partly because some American officials have criticized Qatar, a strong United States ally in the Middle East and home to the largest American military air base in the region, for not acting forcefully enough to quell financial conduits to Qaeda militants.
