Aid Efforts for Lebanon Stymied by Federal Rules

American charities that are donating money and supplies for relief efforts in Lebanon are facing scrutiny by the U.S. Treasury Department, reports The Chicago Tribune.

In an effort to ensure that donations do not benefit political organizations or terrorist groups, the government has put forth general guidelines for charities to follow.

However, Muslim charity workers are still unclear about what groups they can support without getting into trouble, the newspaper says. They asked for guidance specifically to govern work in Lebanon but say they have not received any help.

The Treasury Department says it is unable to issue a list of approved charities because of the constant changes that nonprofit groups make in the types of organizations they support. It has, however, issued a list of charities that it believes do have ties to terrorists.

Plus: Saudi Arabia donated $1-million to support Unicef relief efforts in Lebanon, reports The Khaleej Times, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.