2001

Washington Post Links Diamonds With Terrorism

Dec. 2001

A recent Washington Post article said Osama bin Laden’s al Queada network may be profiting from "conflict diamonds" sold by Sierra Leone rebles. The story quotes unnamed U.S. and European intelligence officials.

The report say that before Sept. 11, the terrorist network bought more diamonds than usual. They think that the terrorist knew their accounts would be frozen so they put their money into diamonds, which can be easily hidden, hold their value and are hard to trace.

A statement issued by JA noted that the diamond industry and the World Diamond Council support the international effort, known as the Kimberley Process, to insure diamonds are not associated with conflict or terrorism.