Washington: Several businesses and "charities" based in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which are financing Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network, are continuing to thrive due to failure of Governments to enforce sanctions against these outfits, according to US and European investigators.

Governments around the world are not enforcing global sanctions designed to stem the flow of money to al-Qaeda and impede the business activity of the organisation's financiers. This allows the terrorist network to retain formidable finances resources, a media report said in Washington.

Several "charities" based in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia that were reportedly shut down by the Governments there because of the groups' alleged financial ties to bin Laden also continue to operate freely, the investigators were quoted as saying by the daily 'The Washington Post'.

A UN report has noted that the al Rashid Trust, a designated Pakistani charity, "continues its operation in Pakistan under various names and partnerships…It has continued to be active in funding al-Qaeda related activities, as well as other social and humanitarian projects."

The investigators also expressed concern about the alleged activities of Wael Julaidan, a businessman who helped found al-Qaeda and also was designated by the UN on September 6, 2002 as a terrorist financier.

Until last year, Julaidan was the Saudi chairman of the Rabita Trust, a Pakistani charity also found by the UN to have funded al-Qaeda activities. UN and US officials said Julaidan continues to work in charities and to handle large sums of money.

PTI