Washington:  The US State Department has designated as terrorists the Philippines-based Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM), its leader Ahmad Santos and eight other RSM members.

The RSM was set up in January 2002 by Santos who has "been involved in the planning of bombings against Philippine and non-Philippine civilians and the stockpiling of weapons to conduct those operations," the department said yesterday.

It took its cue from the UN Security Council which, it said, on June 4 put RSM and the eight members on the 1267 committee's list of individuals and entities affiliated with Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or Osama bin Laden.

All UN member states are required to immediately freeze the funds and other economic resources of individuals and entities on the list and to impose other sanctions such as a travel ban and arms embargo, it said.

Under a Treasury Department executive order, the State Department "designated RSM and its leader Ahmad Santos" as well as seven other RSM operatives as "specially designated global terrorists," it said.

"RSM has received training, funds, and operational assistance from the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and Jemaah Islamiya, two designated Foreign Terrorist Organisations, which are also included on the UN 1267 list," it said.

"RSM has assisted with terrorist plots of the ASG in Manila and in the northern Philippines," it said in a statement.

In February 2004,it said, "RSM members were involved in ASG s bombing of Super Ferry 14,resulting in the loss of an estimated 116 lives, the worst act of maritime terrorism in recent history."

Source : PTI