[Vision2020] More Treasury agents track Castro than Bin Laden
Joan Opyr
auntiestablishment@hotmail.com
Sun, 2 May 2004 12:22:30 -0700
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Dear Visionaries:
More evidence of our misplaced priorities. Forwarding from the AP Wire.
Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
More Treasury agents track Castro than Bin Laden
By John Solomon
April 30, 2004 | WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Treasury Department agency entr=
usted with blocking the financial resources of terrorists has assigned fi=
ve times as many agents to investigate Cuban embargo violations as it has=
to track Osama bin Laden's and Saddam Hussein's money, documents show. =20
In addition, the Office of Foreign Assets Control said that between 1990 =
and 2003 it opened just 93 enforcement investigations related to terroris=
m. Since 1994 it has collected just $9,425 in fines for terrorism financi=
ng violations. =20
In contrast, OFAC opened 10,683 enforcement investigations since 1990 for=
possible violations of the long-standing economic embargo against Fidel =
Castro's regime, and collected more than $8 million in fines since 1994, =
mostly from people who sent money to, did business with or traveled to Cu=
ba without permission. =20
The figures, included in a lengthy letter OFAC sent to Congress late last=
year and provided to The Associated Press this week, prompted Republican=
s and Democrats alike to question whether OFAC has failed to adjust from =
the Cold War to the war on terrorism. =20
Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., threatened Thursday to start an effort in Cong=
ress to eliminate some funding for OFAC if more resources weren't put tow=
ard the bin Laden and Saddam efforts. =20
"This is really astounding,'' Dorgan said. "I hope somebody in the admini=
stration will soon come to his or her senses and start directing our reso=
urces where they are needed. Politics is clearly diverting precious time,=
money and manpower away from the war on terrorism here.'' =20
Sen. Max Baucus, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, reques=
ted the figures, which showed that at the end of 2003, OFAC had 21 full-t=
ime agents working Cuba violations and just four full-time workers huntin=
g bin Laden's and Saddam's riches. =20
"Rather than spending precious resources to prevent Americans from exerci=
sing their right to travel, OFAC must realign its priorities and instead =
work harder to keep very real terrorist threats out of our country,'' sai=
d Baucus, D-Mont. =20
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the tax-writing Senate pan=
el, agreed. =20
"OFAC obviously needs to enforce the law with regard to U.S. policy on Cu=
ba, but the United States is at war against terrorism, and al-Qaida is th=
e biggest threat to our national security,'' Grassley said. "Cutting off =
the blood money that has financed Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden must=
be a priority when it comes to resources.'' =20
The Treasury Department, which oversees OFAC, said its workers ``fully ut=
ilize the resources and tools available to us to protect our nation and t=
he good-willing people around the world from those who seek to harm us, b=
e they terrorist thugs or fascist dictators.'' =20
In a statement, Treasury said the Bush administration was ``steadfast in =
fighting the financial war on terror and honoring our commitment to the U=
nited States and the United Nations to uphold our economic sanctions agai=
nst rogue nations.'' =20
But the department last month signaled it wasn't completely satisfied wit=
h its terror-fighting effort, announcing a reorganization that placed fou=
r historically autonomous offices _ OFAC, the Financial Crimes Enforcemen=
t Network, the Office of Asset Forfeiture and the Office of Intelligence =
Support _ under the control of a new undersecretary for the Office of Ter=
rorism and Financial Intelligence. =20
Treasury Secretary John Snow wrote Grassley that the initiative will, by =
2005, double the resources OFAC had just four years ago if President Bush=
's budget is approved. Still, Snow acknowledged change was needed. =20
"In a post-Sept. 11 world it was crucial that we took a good, hard look a=
t the capabilities we had available as well as question what changes need=
ed to be made in light of that attack,'' Snow wrote. =20
In its letter late last year to the Senate committee, OFAC said it ``has =
no information that any foreign government is knowingly sheltering Saddam=
's personal wealth.'' The agency added that the deposed Iraqi dictator "a=
lmost certainly used front companies and trusted associates outside Iraq =
to hold and manage assets.'' Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer do=
wnload : http://explorer.msn.com
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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV>Dear Visionari=
es:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, se=
rif" size=3D3>More evidence of our misplaced priorities. Forwarding=
from the AP Wire.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Joan Opyr/Auntie E=
stablishment</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, =
times, serif" size=3D5>More Treasury agents track Castro than Bin Laden</=
FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" siz=
e=3D2><B>By John Solomon</B></FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT fa=
ce=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=3D2>April 30, 2004 &nbs=
p;| </FONT> <!-- end default pre content --><FONT face=3D"times new=
roman, times, serif" size=3D3>WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Treasury Department=
agency entrusted with blocking the financial resources of terrorists has=
assigned five times as many agents to investigate Cuban embargo violatio=
ns as it has to track Osama bin Laden's and Saddam Hussein's money, docum=
ents show. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif=
" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times,=
serif" size=3D3>In addition, the Office of Foreign Assets Control said t=
hat between 1990 and 2003 it opened just 93 enforcement investigations re=
lated to terrorism. Since 1994 it has collected just $9,425 in fines for =
terrorism financing violations. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times ne=
w roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"ti=
mes new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>In contrast, OFAC opened 10,683 enf=
orcement investigations since 1990 for possible violations of the long-st=
anding economic embargo against Fidel Castro's regime, and collected more=
than $8 million in fines since 1994, mostly from people who sent money t=
o, did business with or traveled to Cuba without permission. </FONT></DIV=
> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT> =
;</DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>The fi=
gures, included in a lengthy letter OFAC sent to Congress late last year =
and provided to The Associated Press this week, prompted Republicans and =
Democrats alike to question whether OFAC has failed to adjust from the Co=
ld War to the war on terrorism. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times ne=
w roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"ti=
mes new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., threaten=
ed Thursday to start an effort in Congress to eliminate some funding for =
OFAC if more resources weren't put toward the bin Laden and Saddam effort=
s. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D=
3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" s=
ize=3D3>"This is really astounding,'' Dorgan said. "I hope somebody in th=
e administration will soon come to his or her senses and start directing =
our resources where they are needed. Politics is clearly diverting precio=
us time, money and manpower away from the war on terrorism here.'' </FONT=
></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT=
> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>=
Sen. Max Baucus, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, reques=
ted the figures, which showed that at the end of 2003, OFAC had 21 full-t=
ime agents working Cuba violations and just four full-time workers huntin=
g bin Laden's and Saddam's riches. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times=
new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D=
"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>"Rather than spending precious r=
esources to prevent Americans from exercising their right to travel, OFAC=
must realign its priorities and instead work harder to keep very real te=
rrorist threats out of our country,'' said Baucus, D-Mont. </FONT></DIV> =
<DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT> <=
/DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>Sen. Cha=
rles Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the tax-writing Senate panel, agre=
ed. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D=
3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" s=
ize=3D3>"OFAC obviously needs to enforce the law with regard to U.S. poli=
cy on Cuba, but the United States is at war against terrorism, and al-Qai=
da is the biggest threat to our national security,'' Grassley said. "Cutt=
ing off the blood money that has financed Saddam Hussein and Osama bin La=
den must be a priority when it comes to resources.'' </FONT></DIV> <DIV><=
FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> =
<DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>The Treasury D=
epartment, which oversees OFAC, said its workers ``fully utilize the reso=
urces and tools available to us to protect our nation and the good-willin=
g people around the world from those who seek to harm us, be they terrori=
st thugs or fascist dictators.'' </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times n=
ew roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"t=
imes new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>In a statement, Treasury said the =
Bush administration was ``steadfast in fighting the financial war on terr=
or and honoring our commitment to the United States and the United Nation=
s to uphold our economic sanctions against rogue nations.'' </FONT></DIV>=
<DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT> =
</DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>But the=
department last month signaled it wasn't completely satisfied with its t=
error-fighting effort, announcing a reorganization that placed four histo=
rically autonomous offices _ OFAC, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Netwo=
rk, the Office of Asset Forfeiture and the Office of Intelligence Support=
_ under the control of a new undersecretary for the Office of Terrorism =
and Financial Intelligence. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new ro=
man, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times =
new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>Treasury Secretary John Snow wrote Gras=
sley that the initiative will, by 2005, double the resources OFAC had jus=
t four years ago if President Bush's budget is approved. Still, Snow ackn=
owledged change was needed. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new ro=
man, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times =
new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>"In a post-Sept. 11 world it was crucia=
l that we took a good, hard look at the capabilities we had available as =
well as question what changes needed to be made in light of that attack,'=
' Snow wrote. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, se=
rif" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, tim=
es, serif" size=3D3>In its letter late last year to the Senate committee,=
OFAC said it ``has no information that any foreign government is knowing=
ly sheltering Saddam's personal wealth.'' The agency added that the depos=
ed Iraqi dictator "almost certainly used front companies and trusted asso=
ciates outside Iraq to hold and manage assets.'' </FONT></DIV></BODY></HT=
ML><br clear=3Dall><hr>Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download=
: <a href=3D'http://explorer.msn.com'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p=
>
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