British Officials Fear ISIS May Have Hijacked Funds for Aid Charities

The British government watchdog for charities, the Charity Commission, is conducting formal investigations of 86 British organizations amid fears that their funds may be hijacked by Islamic extremists to finance military operations in Iraq and Syria according to The Telegraph. William Shawcross, chair of the Charity Commission, said there is “a risk” that money donated by the British public had already been sent to ISIS fighters.

The commission has also launched official full-scale investigations into four charities, including one that employed Alan Henning, the British hostage murdered by extremists. A second charity under investigation has allegedly been infiltrated by a suicide bomber.

“Even if extremist and terrorist abuse is rare, which it is, when it happens it does huge damage to public trust in charities. That’s why I take it very seriously,” Mr. Shawcross said.