Bush announcing more assets to be frozen in war on terrorism

Thursday, December 20th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ On the 100th day after terrorists attacked America, President Bush took action Thursday to cut off financing to two more groups linked to terrorism, including one that has attacked targets in India.

The president was announcing in an afternoon Rose Garden ceremony that his administration is working with U.S. allies to freeze the financial assets of Umnah Tameer E-nau, a Pakistani group suspected of financing Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, said a senior administration official.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States also sought to freeze the assets of Lashkar E-Tayyiba, a trained terrorist group that has struck against India.

Neither group is believed to have assets in the United States, officials said.

Already, in the 100 days since suicide hijackers attacked on Sept. 11, the Bush administration has blocked more than $33 million in assets of groups said to be involved in terrorism. Some of the 142 countries that are cooperating in the U.S. anti-terror campaign and have issued orders freezing assets have blocked another $33 million.

The tallies are part of a 100-day report released by the White House on Thursday to show progress in the war at a time when frustrating questions swirl over bin Laden's whereabouts and whether he will be captured at all.

Since U.S. and British forces began bombing targets in Afghanistan on Oct. 7, the military has destroyed at least 11 terrorist training camps and 39 command posts of Afghanistan's terrorist-allied Taliban, according to the White House report.

During that same period, the Defense Department's $51-million humanitarian mission airdropped nearly 2.5 million food packets to starving Afghan civilians.