Spanish daily El Pais cited Spanish police sources in a Nov. 14 report that alleged an Islamist militant cell disrupted in Barcelona had been funneling money to al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan. In addition to revealing another specific source of funding for the al Qaeda network, the report served to highlight the issue of financing for terrorist operations, in general. STRATFOR has explored and deciphered some of the many methods used by Islamist militant groups and others to finance their operations, finding that funds come in large part through charities and, within the Muslim world, the hawala system, as well as through illegal trafficking in arms, humans or other contraband. Many of the methods of funneling money to al Qaeda are well-documented, even if the top leaders still manage to elude intelligence agencies. The Spanish case, however, exposes yet another branch in al Qaeda's financial tree.