The Money Trail
㰀倀㸀㰀䘀伀一吀 猀椀稀攀㴀ⴀ㸀㰀䈀刀㸀㰀䈀刀㸀匀愀琀甀爀搀愀礀Ⰰ 匀攀瀀琀攀洀戀攀爀 ㈀㈀Ⰰ ㈀ 㬀 倀愀最攀 䄀㈀㠀 㰀⼀䘀伀一吀㸀ഀ
㰀倀㸀䰀䄀匀吀 圀䔀䔀䬀✀匀 愀琀爀漀挀椀琀椀攀猀 栀愀瘀攀 瀀爀漀瘀漀欀攀搀 愀 搀攀戀愀琀攀 漀渀 昀椀渀愀渀挀椀愀氀 猀甀爀瘀攀椀氀氀愀渀挀攀 琀栀愀琀 ഀ mirrors the larger debate on military action. On the one hand, the horror of the 愀琀琀愀挀欀猀 栀愀猀 瀀爀漀洀瀀琀攀搀 愀 搀攀洀愀渀搀 昀漀爀 戀攀琀琀攀爀 琀爀愀挀欀椀渀最 漀昀 琀攀爀爀漀爀椀猀琀 昀椀渀愀渀挀攀猀Ⰰ 椀渀 琀栀攀 ഀ hope either of finding leads to the perpetrators or of disrupting them by 昀爀攀攀稀椀渀最 琀栀攀椀爀 愀猀猀攀琀猀⸀ 伀渀 琀栀攀 漀琀栀攀爀 栀愀渀搀Ⰰ 搀漀甀戀琀攀爀猀 猀愀礀 琀栀愀琀 琀栀攀 爀攀氀愀琀椀瘀攀氀礀 猀洀愀氀氀 ഀ sums needed to sustain terror networks are all but impossible to monitor, and 琀栀愀琀 琀栀攀 栀愀椀氀 漀昀 猀甀戀瀀漀攀渀愀猀 爀愀椀渀椀渀最 搀漀眀渀 甀瀀漀渀 昀椀渀愀渀挀椀愀氀 椀渀猀琀椀琀甀琀椀漀渀猀 眀椀氀氀 戀甀爀搀攀渀 ഀ their businesses without yielding counterterrorist progress. Burdening financial 椀渀猀琀椀琀甀琀椀漀渀猀 搀漀攀猀 渀漀琀 猀攀攀洀 愀 瀀爀攀猀猀椀渀最 眀漀爀爀礀 椀渀 琀栀攀 眀愀欀攀 漀昀 氀愀猀琀 眀攀攀欀✀猀 琀爀愀最攀搀礀⸀ ഀ Even if the money trail is hard to follow, more could and should be done.
㰀倀㸀吀栀攀 䈀甀猀栀 愀搀洀椀渀椀猀琀爀愀琀椀漀渀 栀愀猀 洀愀搀攀 愀 最漀漀搀 猀琀愀爀琀 戀礀 栀愀猀琀攀渀椀渀最 琀栀攀 瀀氀愀渀渀攀搀 ഀ establishment of a new task force to track terrorist assets. The task force 瀀漀漀氀猀 琀栀攀 欀渀漀眀氀攀搀最攀 漀昀 攀椀最栀琀 最漀瘀攀爀渀洀攀渀琀 愀最攀渀挀椀攀猀Ⰰ 爀愀渀最椀渀最 昀爀漀洀 琀栀攀 椀渀琀攀氀氀椀最攀渀挀攀 ഀ services to tax authorities to customs; Clinton administration officials had 眀愀渀琀攀搀 琀漀 挀爀攀愀琀攀 猀漀洀攀琀栀椀渀最 氀椀欀攀 琀栀椀猀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 椀渀琀攀爀愀最攀渀挀礀 樀攀愀氀漀甀猀椀攀猀 搀攀氀愀礀攀搀 ഀ progress. Meanwhile the administration's proposed legislation on 挀漀甀渀琀攀爀琀攀爀爀漀爀椀猀洀 椀渀挀氀甀搀攀猀 甀猀攀昀甀氀 洀攀愀猀甀爀攀猀 琀漀 戀爀漀愀搀攀渀 椀琀猀 愀甀琀栀漀爀椀琀礀 琀漀 最漀 愀昀琀攀爀 ഀ terrorist finances. For example, the restrictions on providing tax information 琀漀 氀愀眀 攀渀昀漀爀挀攀洀攀渀琀 愀最攀渀挀椀攀猀 琀栀愀琀 愀爀攀 栀甀渀琀椀渀最 琀攀爀爀漀爀椀猀琀猀 眀漀甀氀搀 戀攀 爀攀氀愀砀攀搀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀBut the administration needs to go further. The existing requirement that 戀愀渀欀猀 爀攀瀀漀爀琀 猀甀猀瀀椀挀椀漀甀猀 愀挀琀椀瘀椀琀礀 琀漀 爀攀最甀氀愀琀漀爀猀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 戀攀 攀砀琀攀渀搀攀搀 琀漀 漀琀栀攀爀 琀礀瀀攀猀 ഀ of financial institutions, such as stockbrokers, insurers and even casinos; the 爀攀瀀漀爀琀猀 琀栀愀琀 愀氀氀椀攀猀 漀昀 氀愀猀琀 眀攀攀欀✀猀 栀椀樀愀挀欀攀爀猀 洀愀礀 栀愀瘀攀 戀漀甀最栀琀 昀椀渀愀渀挀椀愀氀 漀瀀琀椀漀渀猀 ഀ to profit from the carnage underscore the suspicion that a bank-only focus is 琀漀漀 渀愀爀爀漀眀⸀ 䈀爀漀愀搀攀爀 爀攀瀀漀爀琀椀渀最 爀攀焀甀椀爀攀洀攀渀琀猀 愀氀爀攀愀搀礀 愀爀攀 攀渀昀漀爀挀攀搀 椀渀 䔀甀爀漀瀀攀⸀ 吀栀攀 ഀ United States should now follow.
㰀倀㸀一攀砀琀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 愀搀洀椀渀椀猀琀爀愀琀椀漀渀 渀攀攀搀猀 洀漀爀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀椀琀礀 琀漀 瀀甀渀椀猀栀 昀椀渀愀渀挀椀愀氀 ഀ institutions that appear to be colluding with terrorists. Currently this is only 瀀漀猀猀椀戀氀攀 椀昀 琀栀攀 瀀爀攀猀椀搀攀渀琀 椀渀瘀漀欀攀猀 攀洀攀爀最攀渀挀礀 瀀漀眀攀爀猀㬀 琀栀攀 戀愀爀 渀攀攀搀猀 琀漀 戀攀 氀漀眀攀爀攀搀 ഀ so that front-line officials can credibly threaten secretive banks with 攀砀挀氀甀猀椀漀渀 昀爀漀洀 唀⸀匀⸀ 昀椀渀愀渀挀椀愀氀 洀愀爀欀攀琀猀 甀渀氀攀猀猀 琀栀攀礀 挀漀漀瀀攀爀愀琀攀 椀渀 琀爀愀挀欀椀渀最 ഀ terrorists. Last year Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Tex.) blocked legislation that would 栀愀瘀攀 挀爀攀愀琀攀搀 琀栀椀猀 愀甀琀栀漀爀椀琀礀Ⰰ 琀栀漀甀最栀 琀栀攀 椀搀攀愀 眀愀猀 漀瘀攀爀眀栀攀氀洀椀渀最氀礀 猀甀瀀瀀漀爀琀攀搀 椀渀 琀栀攀 ഀ House Banking Committee. Now Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) is pushing the idea 愀最愀椀渀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀTerrorists no doubt transfer much of their money via informal networks or 攀瘀攀渀 椀渀 戀愀挀欀瀀愀挀欀猀⸀ 䈀甀琀 椀琀 爀攀洀愀椀渀猀 琀爀甀攀 琀栀愀琀 猀漀洀攀 ⴀⴀ 渀漀琀愀戀氀礀 伀猀愀洀愀 戀椀渀 䰀愀搀攀渀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 ഀ chief suspect in the attacks last week -- have gone out of their way to create 挀漀洀瀀氀攀砀 椀渀琀攀爀渀愀琀椀漀渀愀氀 戀甀猀椀渀攀猀猀 渀攀琀眀漀爀欀猀 琀栀愀琀 洀愀欀攀 甀猀攀 漀昀 挀漀渀瘀攀渀琀椀漀渀愀氀 昀椀渀愀渀挀椀愀氀 ഀ channels. Years of efforts to get at those networks have proved how hard the job 椀猀⸀ 䈀甀琀 琀栀攀 䌀氀椀渀琀漀渀 愀搀洀椀渀椀猀琀爀愀琀椀漀渀 搀椀猀爀甀瀀琀攀搀 琀栀攀 䌀愀氀椀 搀爀甀最 挀愀爀琀攀氀 戀礀 最漀椀渀最 愀昀琀攀爀 ഀ its assets in the 1990s. New tools and a new commitment could turn financial 猀甀爀瘀攀椀氀氀愀渀挀攀 椀渀琀漀 愀 眀漀爀琀栀眀栀椀氀攀 瀀愀爀琀 漀昀 琀栀攀 猀琀爀甀最最氀攀 愀最愀椀渀猀琀 琀攀爀爀漀爀椀猀洀⸀ 㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ
㰀倀㸀ഀ