A report compiled by the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee has stated that the United States government under Barack Obama failed to stop a U.S. backed humanitarian agency funnelling funds to a group with ties to Islamic extremists and Al-Qaeda.
Chuck Grassley, a Republican Senator from Iowa, said in his report that non-profit humanitarian agency World Vision United States took part in financial transactions with the Islamic Relief Agency in 2014. The ISRA had previously been sanctioned due to ties with Islamic extremists and Islamic terror groups.
It is stated that World Vision was apparently unaware that the United States had previously sanctioned the ISRA for funnelling around $5 million to an Al-Qaeda predecessor group known as 'Maktab al-Khidamat'.
"World Vision works to help people in need across the world, and that work is admirable. Though it may not have known that ISRA was on the sanctions list or that it was listed because of its affiliation with terrorism, it should have. Ignorance can't suffice as an excuse. World Vision's changes in vetting practices are a good first step, and I look forward to its continued progress."
While the report says that the misconduct took place, it also states that World Vision did not funnel the funds maliciously or with harmful intent, but out of ignorance and poor vetting procedures:
"We also found no evidence that World Vision knew that ISRA was a sanctioned entity prior to receiving notice from Treasury. However, based on the evidence presented, we conclude that World Vision had access to the appropriate public information and should have known how, but failed to, properly vet ISRA as a sub-grantee, resulting in the transfer of U.S. taxpayer dollars to an organization with an extensive history of supporting terrorist organization [sic] and terrorists, including Osama Bin Laden. Had World Vision employed the same due diligence and similar methods employed by IOM, taxpayer dollars would not have exchanged hands with an organization that is known to fund terrorist organizations."
World Vision, who assist in humanitarian missions around the globe, apologised for any wrongdoing but said that it rejected any link to terror activity and was glad that the report had exonerated it from any intentional wrongdoing. The organisation said:
"World Vision takes our compliance obligations seriously and shares Sen. Grassley and the committee staff's objective for good stewardship. We appreciate the acknowledgement that the committee staff's report to the chairman 'found no evidence that World Vision knew that ISRA was a sanctioned entity prior to receiving notice from Treasury. Terrorism runs counter to everything World Vision stands for as an organization and we strongly condemn any act of terrorism or support for such activities."
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