Terrorism Finance: Dennis M. Lormel Weighs in on Terrorist Financing
Recently on May 5, 2012 Dennis M. Lormel, President and CEO of DML Associates LLC, testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, on the subject of “Terrorist Financing Since 9/11: Assessing an Evolving al Qaeda and State Sponsors of Terrorism.” Following that appearance he was questioned further on the subject by Congressman Patrick Meehan, who posed a series of questions about the current state of terrorist finance. What follows is Part 3 of the interview; you may read the entire interview here.
[Congressman Patrick Meehan]: President Obama recently signed an executive order allowing the Treasury Department to freeze US-based assets of persons who the White House has identified as a “threat to the peace, security and stability” of Yemen. Do you think this is an effective use of the designation authority? Especially when a group such as Boko Haram – who have killed thousands of civilians and are in constant contact with AQIM – remain undesignated?
[Dennis M. Lormel]: If evidence exists to support designations, I am an ardent supporter for the designation process. Such actions disrupt funding flows and serve as a deterrent. Boko Haram is a violent and dangerous group. They have been very active and pose a formidable threat in Nigeria. With respect to designating other groups, I would not make designation decisions by comparing one group, such as Boko Haram, to other groups. A number of factors must be taken in consideration in the decision process to include the level of overall terrorist threat, threat to the United States (US), diplomatic considerations, and the need to continue the classification of intelligence information.
[PM]: In 2011, the US Government revealed the findings of a multi-year law enforcement operation to dismantle a complex, transnational network involved in money laundering and drug trafficking. The case involved Hezbollah, Mexican and Colombian drug trafficking organizations, the Taliban, Lebanon, Colombia, Panama, several countries in West Africa, US car buyers, a US shipping company, bulk cash couriers, plans for weapons trafficking deals, and the Beirut-based Lebanese Canadian Bank (LCB). Does the fact that groups such as Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps continue to use criminal ventures create opportunities for US enforcement mechanisms – such as our robust counter-narcotics tools – to roll up these vast networks?
[DML]: All criminal activity undertaken by Hezbollah, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other terrorist organizations leave them vulnerable to detection by law enforcement and intelligence services. Law enforcement, particularly the DEA and FBI, deserve considerable credit for conducting a well-disciplined, focused and comprehensive investigation that tied transnational criminal organizations together with terrorist groups and a number of facilitation tools to include the Lebanese Canadian Bank. Through comprehensive investigation and financial tracing, multiple funding streams between Central America, the United States, Lebanon, West Africa and Europe were identified and dismantled. There have been at least four other significant investigations conducted by the FBI and other agencies that exposed Hezbollah’s involvement in raising large amounts of money through criminal activities in the US. The most notable of these cases was the North Carolina cigarette smuggling case known as Operation Smokescreen. A Hezbollah cell operated an elaborate scheme to smuggle cigarettes from North Carolina to Michigan. This cell generated approximately $25 million in illicit funds.
Click here to read the full interview between Dennis M. Lormel and Congressman Patrick Meehan.
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To learn more about DML Associates LLC, visit http://www.dmlassociatesllc.com
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