Just days after American Forces launched a targeted assault that killed Osama Bin Laden, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet asked nominees for counterterrorism posts in the Obama Administration how Bin Laden’s death would affect the flow of financing to terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and how terrorist network overlap might complicate U.S. efforts to squeeze terrorist fundraising capacity.
In a question to David S. Cohen, nominee to be under secretary for terrorism and financial crimes at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bennet remarked, “You had said that you had some success interrupting the financial networks that support Al Qaeda and I wonder if you could describe… the effect that Osama Bin Laden’s death might have on that financing if any…”
On the question of whether Bin Laden’s death will disrupt future financing, Cohen said that although the development represents a step in the right direction, it’s “by no means an end of the road.” Cohen also said that significant terrorist network overlap does exist and requires a more comprehensive approach to counteract financing for various terrorist factions.
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