WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Friday it is moving to freeze the assets of 10 suspected members of the Jemaah Islamiah militant network, a group blamed for last year's Bali bomb attack and believed to have links to al Qaeda.
 
The United States is also sending the names to the United Nations and if the U.N. has no objections, all member states will be required to take similar actions, Treasury said.

"Today's action identifies 10 individuals at the heart of the JI network," Treasury Secretary John Snow said in a statement released in Washington.

Snow is expected to make the announcement at a press briefing in Phuket, Thailand where he is attending a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

"These terrorists have worked to achieve al Qaeda's terrorist goals in Southeast Asia."

The U.S. action immediately freezes all assets belonging to the 10 people on the list.

Treasury said it expects to announce later on Friday it has added a further 10 suspected members of Jemaah Islamiah to the list.

Since September 11 2001, the United States and its allies have designated 305 individuals and entities as terrorists and supporters of terrorism, and have frozen over $136.7 million worldwide, Treasury said.

(c) 2003 Reuters