September 18, 2018 - As of Memorial Day, 2017, thousands of American soldiers had lost their lives in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. Those deaths did not include the civilian contractors from the U.S. who were killed in the Global Wars on Terrorism beginning in 2001. For over a decade, the country of Iran has held the dubious position as the number one state sponsor of terrorism. This means Iran has provided weapons, training and funding to such terrorist organizations as Kata’ib Hizballah, Iraqi Shi and Hezbollah. Although Sudan and Syria are also state sponsors of terrorism, Iran is definitely at the top of those providing weapons and funding to terrorists. The United States imposed sanctions on Iran after it was found that the country violated our Anti-Terrorism Act—and continues to circumvent the rules any time they can.
While many of us are well-aware of the part Iran has played in the deaths and severe injuries to American soldiers and contractors, few realize the part that some European banks have played in the issue. These banks allowed greed to steer their actions, providing Iran with funds while using elaborate cover-ups to prevent the United States from finding out about the funding. Think about it—terrorism could not exist without cash. The country of Iran used cash provided by these banks to fund, train and arm Iraq and Afghanistan terrorist groups—groups whose only purpose was to kill as many American soldiers as possible. Iran also happens to be the exclusive manufacturer of EFPs (Explosively-formed Penetrators), not to mention other munitions and rockets which have been shown to be the leading cause of injury and death to U.S. and Coalition Forces.
Statutes of Limitations as They Apply to the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act If you or a loved one experienced severe injury or death as a direct result of state-sponsored terrorism, you may decide to file a U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act Lawsuit against the global banks mentioned above. Should you decide to take this step, your anti-terrorism attorney can discuss the applicable statutes of limitations with you. According to Colin Powell, “Money is the oxygen of terrorism.” This quote makes much sense considering the fact that if Iran had not provided funds to terrorist groups during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, then thousands of American soldiers would not have lost their lives, or be forced to live with serious disabilities for the remainder of their lives. If you believe these global banks should be held accountable, speak to an anti-terrorism lawyer about filing a U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act Lawsuit.
Which Global Banks Helped Iran With Financial Transactions? Commerzbank A.G., HSBC Holding Group PLC, Credit Suisse Bank, BNP Paribas, Standard Chartered Bank and Barclays PLC have all pled guilty to violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran, Sudan and Cuba. The U.S. struck a deal with these banks—in return for billions of dollars paid in fines by the banks, the United States agreed to delay or defer criminal prosecution. It is likely that “delay” or “deferment” means the banks will never be criminally prosecuted by the United States. BNP Paribas paid approximately a staggering $9 billion in fines, while the other banks paid millions, after admissions that they “stripped” billions of U.S. dollars on behalf of Iran. This, in spite of the fact that the banks were well-aware of the fact that Iran had been designated as a state sponsor of terror. It could be time for you to speak to a knowledgeable anti-terrorism attorney regarding your specific situation and the possibility of filing a U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act Lawsuit.