U.S. to crack down on terror bankrolls (new executive order)

[Newsjock]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bush administration announced a new tool Tuesday to freeze financial assets of those who want to destabilize Iraq.

President Bush unveiled a new executive order that allows the administration to block bank accounts and any other financial assets that might be found in this country belonging to people, companies or groups that the United States deems are working to threaten stability in Iraq.


Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-07-17-executive-order_N.htm

---

Gee ... would that description apply to any of us here??

[earthboundmisfit]

1. And exactly who "deems", pray tell?

Is the "Deemer" the same person as the "Decider"?

[dogfacedboy]

4. "I am the Deeming Decider guy! " - GWB in very near future. n/t

[niceypoo]

2. Does this mean the Saudis will have their accounts locked?

Hell no!!

[DBoon]

3. Does this mean the Quakers will have their accounts locked?

maybe.

[robinlynne]

24. my very first thought too.

[sarcasmo]

29. D/U members , accounts blocked in the near future?

[Tempest]

6. Bandar Bush's account should be the very first one

[spinbaby]

5. Sounds like a threat to me

Disagree with his Chimpiness and you're a terrorist.

[coalition_unwilling]

7. No doubt there will absolutely no judicial review of this

monstrosity and it will quickly be turned against various and sundry peace groups and anti-war activisits, just like the machinery of state was used against such individuals and groups during the Nixon administration.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

8. But what will the White House do without any money?

They're deciding without doing much thinking these days.

:shrug:

[Barrett808]

9. US to freeze assets of those threatening Iraq's stability

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) - President George W. Bush has signed an order enabling the US government to freeze the assets of people who threaten Iraq's stability, the White House announced Tuesday.

Bush's executive order, which was released by the White House, empowers the US Treasury and other government agencies to freeze the property of persons who have committed or may mount acts of violence in Iraq and against that country's government.

The order also targets individuals seeking to harm humanitarian workers and others involved in Iraq's reconstruction efforts.

A White House official who requested anonymity said it would generally apply to terrorist or insurgent groups, including those aided by Syria and Iran.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070717/pl_afp/usiraqattacks

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Funny, looks like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the sources of most foreign fighters, get a pass again.

[Snarkoleptic]

10. We're freezing our own assets?

[Doctor_J]

11. "generally apply" to terrorist groups

like the Democratic party?

Syria and Iran - not Saudi Arabia?

Heil, Bush!

[rox63]

12. So when do they freezes *'s assets?

He's doing the most to destabilize Iraq.

[whistle]

13. Does that include all of the democrats in congress?

[Tempest]

14. Including Saudi Arabia's assets?

They are supplying 48% of the insurgency's manpower.

[peace13]

15. Does this include the VP?

[coalition_unwilling]

16. No doubt there will absolutely no judicial review of this

monstrosity and it will quickly be turned against anti-war groups and individuals, much as the machinery of state was mobilized against similar groups and individuals during the Nixon administration.

[ohio2007]

17. The measure calls for US officials to block all property and interests of persons deemed a threat to

from the article;


The measure calls for US officials to block all property and interests of persons deemed a threat to Iraq's within the United States or which come under the control of Americans.

I think it means certain charities will be forced to open their books.
.....just a hunch of what may happen in the comming months.

[Cant trust em]

21. That might be a good thing

Terrorists have had access to money that has been funnelled to them through Saudi "charities" for years. This all of course assumes that the administration doesn't fuck it up.

[ohio2007]

26. a trap has been set for over half the decade now

money flow has been monitored by the credit card industry ( for one ) since november 2001. If it is to be the last hurrah of *, I also hope it doesn't end up in a snafu.

[kestrel91316]

18. So he's freezing HIS OWN assets and those of his VP?????

[superconnected]

19. daddy bush aint gonna like him and his saudi friends accounts being locked.

[ClintonTyree]

23. Like that would ever happen.....

no, this executive order applies only to those entities which Bush deems unfriendly toward his plans of middle eastern domination.

[ohio2007]

20. the money trail is at the Mexican border

FBI: Iraqis Being Smuggled Across the Rio Grande
snip

The FBI report, issued last week, says the smuggling organization "used to smuggle Mexicans, but decided to smuggle Iraqi or other Middle Eastern individuals because it was more lucrative." Each individual would be charged a fee of $20,000 to $25,000, according to the report.

snip

Until recently, the United States has kept its doors all but shut to the estimated two million refugees fleeing the violence in Iraq. Until this year, the country had taken in fewer than 800 Iraqi refugees, according to the State Department. This May, the Bush administration pledged to resettle 7,000 Iraqi refugees here by the end of the year.




http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/07/fbi-iraqis-bein.html

[Cant trust em]

22. no more credibility

I think that we can all agree that disrupting the ability of terrorists to move money around is vital in the war against terror. I also think that we can agree that everything the administration has touched has blown up in their faces. It's really a shame that what could be a good idea is likely going to be misused for the wrong reasons by these clods.

[B3Nut]

32. I'm totally in favor of freezing the assets of

bona fide terrorism supporters. I'm all for going after *genuine* terrorists. I unfortunately cannot believe a WORD this administration tells me regarding the subject, President Bush has *zero* credibility with me. I don't trust his word any further than I can heave a Volkswagen. It seems whatever we do in an attempt to stamp out terrorism just makes the problem worse. It's so damned frustrating...


Todd in Cheesecurdistan

[damntexdem]

25. Does that include Halliburton's, KBR's, and so on?

Does it include U.S. military spending in Iraq?

If it doesn't, then it's not getting to the root of the problem.

[NashVegas]

27. Damn! They Froze the US Treasury!

we are so fucked.

[Lost4words]

34. LOL!

8643

[dansolo]

28. Does that include the Saudis?

Wasn't there a recent story that the foreign fighters in Iraq are primarily Saudi?

[BeHereNow]

30. Time to liquify/transfer those assets

Oh yeah.
BHN

[Theduckno2]

31. If this is such a good idea, why did it take him until now to do it?

He had almost four years of a rubber-stamp Republican Congress to make this into legislation. The stability of Iraq has been under threat since 2003, why wait until now?

I think that the "deeming process" is screaming for Congressional oversight if this passes judicial review.

edit to add : almost

[bleedingheart]

33. Handmaid's Tale

remember when all those folks found out they had no money..???

[BeHereNow]

35. KICK

This is outrageous and should not go unchallenged.
Very dangerous stuff.
BHN