6 April 2005

BRUSSELS – Belgian anti-terrorism experts are investigating possible links between some of the country's not-for-profit groups and known terrorist organisations, it was confirmed on Wednesday.

Several newspapers from the Sud Presse publishing group reported that Justice Minister Laurette Onkelinkx had received 86 separate files on groups thought to be helping to finance international terrorism in some way or other.

None of the associations sans but lucrative (asbls) was named in the report.

But the newspapers said that most of the groups suspected of having links with terrorism were religious organisations.

According to the reports the official aim of the groups in question is to provide aid to people living in certain African or Middle Eastern countries.

[Copyright Expatica 2005]

Subject: Belgian news