Nairobi — MEMBERS OF the Tanzanian branch of a Saudi charity plotted last year to attack several hotels in Zanzibar, the US charged last week.

"The scheduled attacks did not take place due to increased security by local authorities, but planning for the attacks remained active," US officials added.

The charges came as the US Treasury Department called for international financial sanctions against the Tanzanian and Kenyan branches of the Al Haramain Islamic Foundation. The two East African organisations, along with Al Haramain affiliates in Indonesia and Pakistan, are involved in terrorist activity, the US said.

The Kenyan and Tanzanian groups are specifically linked to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, according to American officials. The two branches are also said to have ties to an organisation in Somalia that the US says is involved in terrorism.

Acting jointly with the government of Saudi Arabia, US officials last week asked the United Nations to order its member states to freeze assets belonging to the al Haramain groups in the four named countries. Al Haramain has denied any connection to terrorism.

Individuals associated with the Kenyan and Tanzanian branches are said to have been involved in the plots to destroy the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in 1998.

An unnamed former director of the Tanzanian branch of Al Haramain assisted the advance team that plotted the bombings, which killed a total of 212 Africans and 12 Americans.

The US Treasury Department also revealed that an Al Haramain employee had indicated how the Nairobi embassy would be attacked a full year before the bombing actually took place. This source disclosed in August 1997 that a suicide bomber would crash a vehicle into the embassy's gate. And that is indeed how the bombing was carried out 12 months later. The allegation of the terrorist plot comes five months after the US State Department issued a travel advisory on Tanzania, which included warnings of threats in Zanzibar.

Attempts by The EastAfrican to raise the issue with the government and Bakwata - Tanzania Muslims apex organisation were unsuccessful.

A few months ago, however, two Al Haramain leaders were declared prohibited immigrants - one for cheating in his real citizenship papers. It could not be established immediately why the second one was deported.