U.S. Treasury freezes assets of seven

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Treasury Department said it froze assets Tuesday of five people and two entities for threatening the peace and stability of Iraq and its government.

Four of the individuals designated under an executive order issued in 2007 support or pose a significant risk of violence against Iraq, its citizens and government and coalition forces, the Treasury Department said in a release.

"These individuals are targeting and planning attacks against innocent Iraqis, the government of Iraq, coalition forces and U.S. troops," said Stuart Levey, undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. "Their lethal and destabilizing tactics, especially by Iran's Quds Force, are intended to undermine Iraq as it strives for peace and prosperity."

One of the individuals designated belongs to Iran's Quds Force, the branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for providing material support to several terrorist and insurgent group, the department said. The two entities were Suraqiya for Media and Broadcasting, and al-Ra'y Satellite Television Channel.

The Treasury Department named IRGC-Quds Force a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Oct. 25, 2007.

Designations under the executive order are handled by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control and bar transactions between the designees and any U.S. person and freeze any assets the designees may have under U.S. jurisdiction.