February 24, 2015: Something a little different Down Under

On February 24th, the Australian Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) listed the following group on its Consolidated List, as the result of a proclamation by the Minister of Foreign Affairs under Part 4 of the Charter of the United Nations Act 1945, which is very different than we've seen for other terror-related listings:

Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis

also known as:

Supporters of the Holy House

Ansar Jerusalem

Jihadi Jerusalem

Supporters of Jerusalem

Champions of Jerusalem

Warriors of Jerusalem

The Group of Partisans of Islamic State of Bayt Al Maqdis

Jamaat Ansar al-Dawla al-Islamiyya fi Bayt Al Maqdis

ABM

the Sinai Province

Islamic State – Sinai Province

I suspect that the reason is that this listing did not come out of the usual Al-Qaida or Taliban sanctions committees at the United Nations. You'll notice that, not only did DFAT not provide an official listing from the UN, which they normally do, that there is much less information than usual.

And, because it's unusual, here's the DFAT press release text:

The Minister for Foreign Affairs has listed the entity Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis under Part 4 of the Charter of the United Nations Act 1945 (“the Act”). The decision came into effect upon publication in the Commonwealth Government Notices Gazette on 24 February 2015. The Gazette notice is attached for your reference.

Part 4 of the Act and regulation 20 of the Charter of the United Nations (Dealing with Assets) Regulations 2008 give effect to Australia's international obligations under United Nations Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) relating to the prevention and suppression of terrorist acts. Under this legislation, the Minister for Foreign Affairs must list a person or entity if she is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the person or entity is associated with the commission of terrorist acts.

The listing makes it an offence under s. 20 of the Act to:

• use or deal with assets owned or controlled by Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis

• allow an asset owned or controlled by Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis to be used or dealt with, or

• facilitate the use of, or dealing with, an asset owned or controlled by Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis

without authorisation from the Minister for Foreign Affairs. It is also an offence under s. 21 of the Act to make an asset (of any kind) available, directly or indirectly, to the Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis without authorisation from the Minister for Foreign Affairs.