Promising to "starve the terrorists of funding," President Bush has signed an executive order freezing the U.S. financial assets of 27 individuals and groups identified as having ties to terrorism.

In announcing the order, President Bush stated, "Just to show you how insidious these terrorists are, they oftentimes use nice-sounding, non-governmental organizations as fronts for their activities."

Recognizing that terrorist groups named in the order operate mainly overseas, and do not have much money in the U.S., foreign banks and financial networks were being asked to prevent terrorists from accessing funds held in other countries. "If they fail to help us by sharing information or freezing accounts," stated Bush, "the Department of the Treasury now has the authority to freeze their bank's assets and transactions in the United States."

Named as terrorists or terrorist organizations in the executive order are:

• Osama bin Laden
• Al Qaeda/Islamic Army (Led by Osama bin Laden)
• Abu Sayyaf Group
• Armed Islamic Group
• Harakat ul-Mujahidin
• Al-Jihad (Egyptian Islamic Jihad)
• Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
• Asbat al-Ansar
• Salafist Group for Call and Combat
• Libyan Islamic Fighting Group
• Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya
• Islamic Army of Aden
• Muhammad Atif (also known as Subhi Abu Sitta, Abu Hafs Al Masri)
• Sayf al-Adl
• Shaykh Saiid (aka, Mustafa Muhammad Ahmad)
• Abu Hafs the Mauritanian (aka, Mahfouz Ould al-Walid, Khalid Al-Shanqiti)
• Ibn Al-Shaykh al-Libi
• Abu Zubaydah (aka, Zayn al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn, Tariq)
• Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi (aka, Abu Abdallah)
• Ayman al-Zawahiri
• Thirwat Salah Shihata
• Tariq Anwar al-Sayyid Ahmad (aka Fathi, Amr al-Fatih)
• Muhammad Salah (aka, Nasr Fahmi Nasr Hasanayn)
• Makhtab Al-Khidamat/Al Kifah
• Wafa Humanitarian Organization
• Al Rashid Trust
• Mamoun Darkazanli Import-Export Company

• Complete Text of Executive Order

• President Bush's remarks on the executive order