Washington: The United States has redesignated 25 groups, including the Liberated Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Hamas, as foreign terrorist organisations making it illegal for persons in the United States to provide material support to these groups.

"The Secretary of State redesignated 25 groups as foreign terrorist organisations under US law on October 2, 2003. The initial designations of these groups in 1997 and 1999 are due to expire on October 3, 2003", US State Department spokesman, Richard Boucher said on October 2.

"By re-certifying them as foreign terrorist organisations and publishing that decision in the Federal Register, we preserve the US government's ability to take action against them in accordance with the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended," he said.



"This act makes it illegal for persons in the United States or subject to US jurisdiction to provide material support to these terrorist groups", Boucher said.

"It requires US financial institutions to block assets held by them, and it enables us to deny visas to representatives of these groups", he said, adding the initial terrorist designations, made in 1997 and 1999, were set to expire on October 3.

"The Secretary made this decision in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury after a thorough review of these groups' terrorist activities over the past two years", Boucher added.

PTI