US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order to expand the administration’s ability to go after suspected terrorists and their financiers and supporters, a day before the September 11 anniversary.
“Today’s executive order by President Trump adds further muscle to US counterterrorism efforts,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a briefing to reporters at the White House on Tuesday.
He said Trump’s action amends an earlier executive order that former President George W Bush initially signed after September 11, by adding clauses to let the State and Treasury departments directly target leaders of suspected terror groups and their affiliates “without having to tie terrorist leaders to specific acts”.
Pompeo said the order also more effectively targets individuals and groups participating in terrorist training and provides new authorities to impose sanctions on foreign financial institutions that knowingly do business with suspected terrorists.
Read the article by Deb Riechmann in the Newcastle Herald.