Operation Green Quest
Encyclopedia
Operation Green Quest was a United States Customs Service
-sponsored interagency investigative unit formed in October 2001 after the September 11 attacks, and concerned with the surveillance and interdiction of terrorist financing
sources. Operation Green Quest was disbanded in June 2003 pursuant to an agreement between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice
.
(IRS), the Secret Service
, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI), the Office of Foreign Assets Control
(OFAC), the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
(FinCEN), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service
. Federal prosecutors from the U.S. Justice Department
's Criminal Division also formed an integral part of Operation Green Quest. The director of Operation Green Quest was a senior special agent from U.S. Customs and the deputy director is a senior special agent from the IRS.
According to Customs, by its fourth month of operation Operation Green Quest had initiated more than 300 probes into terrorist finances, seizing about $10.3m in smuggled US currency and $4.3m in other assets. Its work resulted in 21 searches, 12 arrests and four indictments.
, VA
associated with an umbrella corporation known as the SAAR Foundation
. No arrests were made and no organizations were shut down, but over 500 boxes of files and computer files were confiscated, filling seven trucks. Finding no incriminating evidence, much of the confiscated material has been returned.
The raid raised concerns of unfair persecution within the American Muslim community, leading to an April 4, 2002 meeting in which several notable Muslim figures, including Palestinian-American financier and Republican organizer Talat M. Othman
and Islamic Institute
head Khaled Saffuri
were received by Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill as representatives of the Muslim-American community to voice complaints about the raid.
. DHS also agreed to disband Operation Green Quest by June of that year, and not to start any investigations into terrorism or terrorist financing without the permission of the FBI.
United States Customs Service
Until March 2003, the United States Customs Service was an agency of the U.S. federal government that collected import tariffs and performed other selected border security duties.Before it was rolled into form part of the U.S...
-sponsored interagency investigative unit formed in October 2001 after the September 11 attacks, and concerned with the surveillance and interdiction of terrorist financing
Terrorist Financing
Terrorist financing came into limelight after the events of terrorism on 9/11. The US passed the USA PATRIOT Act to, among other reasons, attempt thwarting the financing of terrorism and anti-money laundering making sure these were given some sort of adequate focus by US financial institutions...
sources. Operation Green Quest was disbanded in June 2003 pursuant to an agreement between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
.
Synopsis
Led by the U.S. Customs Service, and included agents and analysts from the Internal Revenue ServiceInternal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
(IRS), the Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI), the Office of Foreign Assets Control
Office of Foreign Assets Control
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is an agency of the United States Department of the Treasury under the auspices of the Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. OFAC administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on U.S...
(OFAC), the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury that collects and analyzes information about financial transactions in order to combat money laundering, terrorist financiers, and other financial crimes.As reflected in its name, the Financial...
(FinCEN), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
United States Postal Inspection Service
The United States Postal Inspection Service is the law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service. Its jurisdiction is defined as "crimes that may adversely affect or fraudulently use the U.S...
, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
The United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service is the primary security, counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism, and law enforcement agency of the United States Department of the Navy...
. Federal prosecutors from the U.S. Justice Department
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
's Criminal Division also formed an integral part of Operation Green Quest. The director of Operation Green Quest was a senior special agent from U.S. Customs and the deputy director is a senior special agent from the IRS.
According to Customs, by its fourth month of operation Operation Green Quest had initiated more than 300 probes into terrorist finances, seizing about $10.3m in smuggled US currency and $4.3m in other assets. Its work resulted in 21 searches, 12 arrests and four indictments.
SAAR network raid
Its most spectacular operation of was March 20, 2002 raid 19 interrelated business and non-profit entities in HerndonHerndon, Virginia
Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. The population was 21,655 at the 2000 census, which makes it the largest of three towns in the county.-History:...
, VA
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
associated with an umbrella corporation known as the SAAR Foundation
SAAR Foundation
The SAAR Foundation was a flagship corporation representing charities, think tanks, and business entities named after its founder, Saudi patriarch Sulaiman Abdul Aziz Al Rajhi. The SAAR Foundation achieved prominence as the key subject of a March 20, 2002 raid by federal agents, as a part of...
. No arrests were made and no organizations were shut down, but over 500 boxes of files and computer files were confiscated, filling seven trucks. Finding no incriminating evidence, much of the confiscated material has been returned.
The raid raised concerns of unfair persecution within the American Muslim community, leading to an April 4, 2002 meeting in which several notable Muslim figures, including Palestinian-American financier and Republican organizer Talat M. Othman
Talat M. Othman
Talat M. Othman is a Palestinian-American businessman, investor, and Republican fundraiser. On July 31, 2000, he opened the Republican National Convention session with a dua'a, or Muslim benediction, marking the first time a Muslim had addressed a major US political gathering. Governor Jim Edgar...
and Islamic Institute
Islamic Free Market Institute
The Islamic Free Market Institute is a Muslim outreach group founded by Khaled Saffuri and Grover Norquist in 1998 , where they served as executive director and chairman, respectively.- Synopsis :...
head Khaled Saffuri
Khaled Saffuri
Khaled Saffuri is an Arab-American political activist of Palestinian origin, and the co-founder of the Islamic Free Market Institute.- Background :...
were received by Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill as representatives of the Muslim-American community to voice complaints about the raid.
Operation Green Quest Disbanded
As a result of conflicts between the FBI and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (the successor agency to Customs), in May of 2003 the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security signed an agreement concerning terrorist financing investigations. In it, DHS acknowledged that the Department of Justice, through the FBI, was the lead agency in the fight against terrorist financing, and that any terrorist financing investigations would have to be conducted under the auspices of the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task ForceJoint Terrorism Task Force
A Joint Terrorism Task Force is a partnership between various U.S. law enforcement agencies that is charged with taking action against terrorism, which includes the investigation of crimes such as wire fraud and identity theft...
. DHS also agreed to disband Operation Green Quest by June of that year, and not to start any investigations into terrorism or terrorist financing without the permission of the FBI.
See also
- International Institute of Islamic ThoughtInternational Institute of Islamic ThoughtThe International Institute of Islamic Thought is a privately held non-profit organization.The Institution is concerned with issues of Islamic thought...
, one of the more notable targets of the March 20 raid. - September 11 attacks
External links
- U.S. Government Press release on Operation Green Quest, reproduced at Yale's Avalon Project
- CBS News, Feds launch 'Operation Green Quest', October 25, 2001
- Customs Service brochure on Operation Green Quest