October 19, 2018 - United States Anti-Terrorism Lawsuit Cases The Anti-Terrorism Act of the U.S. provides that any national of the United States or his or her survivors is entitled to sue for any injuries received through an act of international terrorism. This same Act makes it a crime for any organization to knowingly support international terrorism by providing material support or resources to these groups. While Iran is a known sponsor of terrorism, several years ago it was discovered that a number of global banks conspired to facilitate high dollar financial transactions for Iran. Iran ultimately used this money to mastermind a large number of the terror attacks which occurred in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Deadly Weapons with Iran’s Fingerprints All Over Them The banks in question admitted to setting up elaborate payment structures which would effectively hide both the origin and the destination of the monies routed through satellite banks, disguising the fact that these transactions were from Iran. After admitting to this conspiracy with Iran, BNP Paribas Bank paid $9 billion for the violations, and the remainder of the banks paid millions of dollars. The most overt weapon paid for by Iran and used against U.S. soldiers and contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, were EFPs (Explosively Formed Penetrators).
The technology necessary to manufacture these deadly weapons was not available in Iraq. The weapons are armor-piercing, complex and expensive, often camouflaged as trash or rocks, and hidden as far as 100 yards from the road. Iranian EFPs were made of steel and copper, allowing them to penetrate the most hardened armored vehicle. As many as 25 percent of the U.S. casualties occurring during Operation New Dawn and Operation Iraqi Freedom were the result of EFPs supplied by Iran. Other terrorist groups, such as Ansar al-Islam, were also provided weapons, training, safe haven, safe passage and operational authority by Iran.
Global Banks Involved in Conspiracy with Iran Iran could not have obtained the money to supply weapons to terrorists without the assistance of the global banks. Once the terrorist had weapons, they killed and maimed thousands of U.S. soldiers and civilian contractors. The processing of these financial transactions were in direct violation of the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act as well as the sanctions the U.S. had put into place against Iran. The banks not only helped Iran process billions of dollars in financial transactions, they also paid billions in fines to the U.S. in return for a promise of deferment of criminal prosecution (meaning the banks are not likely to ever be criminally prosecuted by the U.S.). The global banks involved in providing money to Iran included Barclay’s PLC, Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC Holding Group PLC, Commerzbank A.G., Credit Suisse and BNP Paribas S.A, each of which have a presence in New York.
Should You File a United States Anti-Terrorism Act Lawsuit? If you or a loved one suffered severe injury or death due to Iranian-sponsored terrorism, you could potentially benefit from filing a U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act lawsuit. Under the anti-terrorism laws of the United States you might be entitled to compensation for injuries sustained as a result of the terrorist acts, including the costs of your lawsuit, attorney fees, medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish and possibly even punitive damages. It is especially important to understand how these financial transactions enabled Iran and its terrorist groups to target and attack civilian populations and American soldiers. During this difficult time, having a highly experienced anti-terrorism lawyer by your side could make a significant difference in the outcome of your U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act Lawsuit.