British Monitoring of Charities Comes Under Scrutiny

Accusations that Muslim charities in Britain may have supported an alleged terror plot to blow up airplanes bound for the United States have raised questions about how British authorities monitor nonprofit groups with possible ties to militants, reports The New York Times.

The British have tended to take a less hard-line approach than their American counterparts. For example, the Palestinians Relief and Development Fund, also known as Interpal, was designated a terrorist group by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2003. In contrast, the British Charity Commission investigated the group twice and found no evidence of illegal activity.

But after a BBC documentary last month suggested that Interpal supported Islamic militants, the Charity Commission has reopened its investigation. Interpal has denied any wrongdoing.