JOIN USThe information is contained in a non-paper prepared by the American intelligence community, and shared with the Pakistan in August 2009 at the direction of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and gives a deep insight into the fund raising, financing and various outfits of LeT.
The document says that Hafiz Saeed continues to lead both the LeT and its front organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawah and that some of the funds collected in the name of charitable activities have also been used for planning terror attacks.
The fund is raised through a variety of sources mainly from private donations, NGOs, madrassas and business spread throughout South Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
The non-paper that puts LeT's annual budget at more than Rs 23 crore, was used by Clinton to buttress her point and convey to Pakistan about her decision to oppose delisting of Jamaat-ud-Dawa and its leader Hafiz Saeed from the Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.
The non-paper says that the US intelligence community assesses that Hafiz Muhamad Saeed is leader of Lashkar-e- Taiba and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi is LeT's operations commander and they continue to run the organisation despite being detained for their role in the Mumbai attacks.
"We also judge that they have planned, directed, and executed LT attacks throughout South Asia and likely have used some funds collected in the name of JuD's charitable activities to support multiple LT terrorist operations, including the November Mumbai attacks," it said.
"The Community assesses that Saeed continues to lead both organisations. However, the Community is unable to assess to what extent senior JuD leaders such as Saeed are involved in specific terrorist operations or the level of detail to which they are knowledgeable about specific past and pending attacks," it said.
It says as of mid-July, Lakhvi was responsible for the LeT's military operations budget of Pakistani Rupees 365 million that is approximately USD 5.2 million per year.
He reportedly used the money to purchase all materials required for LeT operations other than weapons and ammunition, according to a source claiming direct and ongoing access to LT leaders, the non-paper said.
"The Community assesses that JuD fundraising has relied heavily on private donations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), madrassas, and businesses spread throughout South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
"Some of JuD's budget, using funds raised both from witting donors and by fraud, is dedicated to social services or humanitarian relief projects, while some is used to finance LT operations," it said.