December 28, 2017 - For many, terrorism can feel as though it is worlds away—just something we occasionally hear about on the news. For others, acts of terrorism have struck much closer to home. U.S. soldiers, as well as civilian contractors and their families have suffered serious effects from terrorist acts, and while we may think we know who is responsible, it has recently come to light that some of the world’s biggest banks have been implicated in these acts. In fact, a significant number of attacks on American citizens and soldiers stationed or working in Iraq during the war were funded by the country of Iran, a known sponsor of terrorism. It was later revealed that several global banks processed large financial transactions for Iran, in direct violation U.S. Counter-Terrorism Sanctions.
Banks Paid Billions in Fines in 2014 to U.S. Government - In 2014, the United States government came to settlements with several global banks—the banks paid millions, and even billions in the case of one bank, in return for the United States agreeing to delay criminal prosecution. This delay of criminal prosecution likely means these banks may never face criminal charges, even though they admitted their part in processing large financial transactions for Iran, who in turn funded violent activities in Iraq.
The banks in question include: Credit Suisse, Commerzbank A.G., BNP Paribas, Barclays, HSBC and Standard Chartered. While the banks did not directly deal with terrorists, they transferred billions of dollars on behalf of Iran which allowed terrorist groups to be funded, trained and armed. Those terrorist groups then carried out attacks against Americans in Iraq. Now, those who were harmed as a result, have the ability to file an anti-terrorism lawsuit against the banks that sponsored terrorism.
Should You File an Anti-Terrorism Lawsuit? - The billions of dollars funneled through these banks helped Iran to facilitate terrorism, and while the banks are expected to claim they were merely the physical conduit of transfers to terrorists, not a conspiracy, remember that these banks already admitted wrongdoing to the U.S. three years ago. Should you decide to file an anti-terrorism lawsuit, there is evidence that can be presented to support the notion that these banks flagrantly disregarded U.S. sanctions against Iran, resulting in serious injury and death to U.S. soldiers and civilian contractors. Your anti-terrorism lawsuit, like others already filed, will assert the banks in question are liable under the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act as they provided material support to a country that supported terrorists.
A Free Claim Review from an Anti-Terrorism Attorney - If you were injured by an explosive device while in Iraq, you could be eligible to seek damages which include: economic losses, mental anguish, pain and suffering, physical injury damages, and perhaps punitive damages as well. Your anti-terrorism attorney may counsel you to seek compensatory damages in your state sponsored terrorism lawsuit. In short, it could be extremely beneficial for you to speak to an experienced anti-terrorism lawyer who can help you determine, through a free claim review, whether filing an anti-terrorism lawsuit is right for you. A knowledgeable anti-terrorism lawyer should have a comprehensive understanding of the issues, as well as your personal issues related to state sponsored terrorism, and should be able to properly evaluate your potential anti-terrorism case against the global banks that helped fund Iran, a known sponsor of terrorism.