U.N.: Al Qaeda still has 'considerable ... resources'

Poised to strike again at its leisure

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Despite international efforts to freeze the assets of al Qaeda and its associates, the worldwide terrorist organization still has access to "considerable financial and other economic resources," according to a draft United Nations report.

Roughly $112 million in assets linked to al Qaeda's financial network have been frozen by the United States and U.N. members, but the report says financial support is still available from Osama bin Laden's own personal inheritance and investments, from members and supporters of al Qaeda, and from contributions obtained, or diverted, from charitable organizations.

The report says that while measures adopted by the international community have forced al Qaeda to "reposition" its assets and resources and to seek new recruits, the group is by all accounts "fit and well" and poised to strike again at its leisure.

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Money collected by a number of Islamic charities is "proving particularly difficult for governments to monitor and regulate," the report says, and it urges greater surveillance of the operations of those groups and greater effort in tracking down and closing businesses supporting al Qaeda.

As a result of tightened banking relations and improved ability to trace and block financial transactions by a large number of nations in Europe, North America and elsewhere, the report says, al Qaeda has transferred much of its financial activities to Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

The report also faults lax visa and border controls, saying members of al Qaeda and Taliban "continue to move undetected across international boundaries, particularly in the areas adjacent to Afghanistan."

Nations' varying standards have prevented some names from a U.N. list of suspected associates of al Qaeda to be included in databases used by border control officials, according to the report.