October 18, 2018 - In 2015, there were 11,774 terrorist attacks across 94 countries, resulting in more than 30,000 deaths—a number which was actually down from 2014. The country of Iran has held the primary position as a state sponsor of terrorism for more than two decades. This means that Iran has consistently provided weapons, training and financing for terrorist groups across the globe, including Hezbolla, Al-Queda, Ansar al Islam and Kata’ib Hizballah. In 2014, the French bank BNP Paribas admitted to violations of U.S. sanctions by processing a large number of financial transactions for Iran—a known sponsor of terrorism. BNP Paribas paid a staggering $9 billion to the United States at that time, with the United States agreeing to defer criminal prosecution for the violation of sanctions against Iran.
This deferment or delay, most likely means BNP Paribas, as well as the five other global banks who also provided financial transactions for Iran, will likely never be criminally prosecuted. The five other banks—Commerzbank A.G., Credit Suisse, HSBC Holding Group PLC, Barclays PLC and Standard Chartered Bank—also admitted to conspiring with Iran, Iranian banks and other entities. The conspiracies which occurred were specifically meant to circumvent U.S. economic sanctions (sanctions which were put into place to prevent Iran from sponsoring terrorism).
U.S. Soldiers, Contractors and Their Families Entitled to File Anti-Terrorism Lawsuits
As many as 63 percent of all coalition deaths which occurred from the beginning of the Iraq War through 2007 were the result of IED weapons. Both IEDs and EFPs are manufactured in Iranian factories, and these weapons are directly responsible for the injuries and deaths of U.S. soldiers and contractors. The injured soldiers and contractors, as well as their families, are now filing state-sponsored terrorism lawsuits. If Iran had not illegally conspired with global banks, there would have been no money to recruit, train, arm and command Sunni and Shia terror groups who murdered and injured soldiers and citizen contractors.
There is no question that these global banks violated U.S. sanctions which specifically prohibited banks from doing business with any entity with a history of financing terrorism or money laundering. The money provided to Iran was used for weapons, training, safe haven and money supplied to terrorist operatives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not only has Iran sponsored terrorism, they have also sponsored the uranium enrichment programs of terrorists, as well as directed and controlled terrorist organizations in Iraq. Specifically, Iran used the money to coordinate a massive terrorism campaign against coalition forces, citizens, soldiers and contractors. The primary weapons Iran supplied to terror operatives in Iraq and Afghanistan included:
- EFPs (Explosively Formed Penetrators);
- IRAMs (Improvised Rocket Assisted Munitions), and
- IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices).
Making the Decision to File a U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act Lawsuit
Even knowing that Iran was funding terrorist organizations, the global banks listed above kept doing business with Iran, even altering documents in an attempt to conceal their actions for U.S. intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies. The ultimate result was billions of dollars funding known terrorist groups, and thousands of U.S. soldiers and civilians killed or severely disabled. If you or a loved one suffered injuries or death in the Afghanistan or Iraq wars, you could benefit from speaking to an experienced Anti-Terrorism Act Attorney to determine whether you have a valid U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act Lawsuit.