"In an effort to cut off funds to Somali terrorists, banks in Minnesota will no longer support money transfers via local businesses called 'hawalas.'” But the Useful Idiot Franken, with a typical Leftist inversion of reality, says that if they do this, the terrorists win: ”Ending remittances from the United States would be a victory for al Shabab which could claim America was preventing needed funds from getting to suffering Somalis."
Of course. They'll say whatever they have to in order to come out on top. But that should not be a factor in whether or not Minnesota banks are used to fund jihad.
"Minnesota banks to stop money transfers to Somalia," from the Homeland Security News Wire, December 13 (thanks to Mark):
In an effort to cut off funds to Somali terrorists, banks in Minnesota will no longer support money transfers via local businesses called “hawalas”; Minnesota has the largest concentration of Somalis in the United States and officials fear that money sent from relatives living in the United States could be funding terrorist groups like al ShabaabAl Shabaab receives much of it's funding through halawas // Source: tigraionline.com
In an effort to cut off funds to Somali terrorists, banks in Minnesota will no longer support money transfers via local businesses called “hawalas.”
Minnesota has the largest concentration of Somalis in the United States and officials fear that money sent from relatives living in the United States could be funding terrorist groups like al Shabaab.
On 15 December, Franklin Bank, the last remaining bank to support hawalas, will discontinue its wire services to Somalia, which has Somalis in Minnesota panicking. Without hawalas Somalis worry that their families in their home country will have no way of supporting themselves.
Somalia’s financial infrastructure is largely inexistent and many families there depend on remittances from relatives living abroad to survive. To make matters worse, Somalia is currently experiencing one of its worst famines in history.
“This is going to have a massive negative effect on Somali, Kenyan, and Ethiopian populations who are facing one of the worst recorded famines and droughts in recent history,” said Aden Hassan, a spokesman for the Somali American Money Wiring Association
The CIA estimates that Somalia receives roughly $1.6 billion in remittances each year from around the world.
According to Hassen, sending money through hawalas is relatively easy for individuals, but banks who execute the transfers must complete a complicated series of steps to comply with federal standards to ensure that funds are not being sent to terrorist groups there.
New financial regulations were put in place following the 9/11 attacks to crack down on funding to terrorist organizations, which resulted in Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, and TCF from dropping its support to hawalas.
In Minnesota, Sunrise Community Banks, a local family owned bank which runs Franklin Bank, began working with the Somali community to service hawalas three years ago, but made its most recent decision to end their relationship due to several recent incidents where individuals in the United States were arrested for financing al Shabaab using the hawala system.
In October two Somali women living in Rochester, Minnesota were convicted of funneling money to al Shabaab using hawalas. The two women were accused of going door to door in an effort to raise funds for the terrorist organization. Meanwhile, earlier this month, a woman in San Diego pled guilty to sending money to al Shabaab fighters using hawalas.
David Reiling, the CEO of Sunrise Community Banks, said the bank’s decision was difficult to make given the urgent humanitarian crisis in the region but ultimately concerns over terrorism prevailed.
Reiling said the bank plans to develop a solution that will allow Somalis to safely transfer money without it falling into the hands of terrorist.
“My bank wants to continue wiring money to Somalia but has to find a way to remove the risk,” he said. “The sheer magnitude, of the human need, weighs very heavily on my shoulders. Yes we have a banking issue and we all want to ensure that money does not get into the wrong hands. I think it’s up to all of us to try to find a solution.”
Until a solution is reached, however, “the only way we know at the moment to mitigate that risk is to close these accounts until we can find another solution to work with government to re-establish those lines,” Reiling said.
To help ensure that Somalis in Minnesota can send money to their families, Senator Al Franken (D – Minnesota) has sent letters to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner urging them to explore alternative methods to transfer money.
”Ending remittances from the United States would be a victory for al Shabab which could claim America was preventing needed funds from getting to suffering Somalis,” Franken said.
so we should get bombed and be politically correct.
m
Many Republicans still don't "get" Islam, but many do. What Democrat does? Al Franken is pretty much mainstream anymore for a Democrat and that's pathetic.
”Ending remittances from the United States would be a victory for al Shabab which could claim America was preventing needed funds from getting to suffering Somalis,” Franken said.
Who cares what terrorists claim? They claim a lot of stuff...I don't see how denial of funds is a victory...How about those rich Saudi's kicking in a little more to help out...
"Without hawalas Somalis worry that their families in their home country will have no way of supporting themselves." --from the article
Well then, out of compassion we'll just have to get those families reunited in the good old U S of A.
It appears they're creating their own famine in Somalia.
From the article:
"According to Hassen, sending money through hawalas is relatively easy for individuals, but banks who execute the transfers must complete a complicated series of steps to comply with federal standards to ensure that funds are not being sent to terrorist groups there."
and...
"Until a solution is reached, however, “the only way we know at the moment to mitigate that risk is to close these accounts until we can find another solution to work with government to re-establish those lines,” Reiling said."
___________________________________________________________
Paragraph 1: Good! What "bank" is there in Somalia that
could possibly be considered reliable?
Paragraph 2: Too bad, Somalis. I feel very bad for the
children and non-muslims who might suffer,
but the Mohammedans (with our without arms)
need to learn that they must give up Islam,
or they will continue to suffer. This includes
the adult muslimahs, I'm ashamed to say.
___________________________________________________________
Somalia needs to be held up as the supreme example of what
pure Islam leads to:
Hell-holes. Violent, chaotic, Mohammedesque hell-holes.
Sit down and shut up, Al.
To help ensure that Somalis in Minnesota can send money to their families, Senator Al Franken (D – Minnesota) has sent letters to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner urging them to explore alternative methods to transfer money.
From election fraud to bank fraud, both work for the general good.
Tim's job is Sharia banking, Hillary's is criticism of Moslems; but Stuart Smalley's?
Although he wasn't legally elected, his job is to guarantee terror fund hawalis.
Lo! Lookit the rights of Moslems being trampled by the evil white xenophobe!
I'm not good or smart enough, but Stuart is: the info's rat there in his frontal lobe.
- the Holy Prophet APF
Muslims don't need banks to engage in hawala transactions. They can do that verbally over the phone with hawala dealers in Somalia. I'm glad the banks recognize the risks of remittances to Somalia, but such remittances will only continue "informally" outside the conventional banking sector.
>"Well then, out of compassion we'll just have to get those families reunited in the good old U S of A."
No,no they can get reunited right in Somalia. Send them all back there!!
Of course the Minnesota Somalis can return to Somalia to support their families in the Thriving Islamic Society that Islam has provided for them...
”Ending remittances from the United States would be a victory for al Shabab which could claim America was preventing needed funds from getting to suffering Somalis,” Franken said.
..............................
Actually, the main reason needed funds are not reaching suffering Somalis is *Al-Shebaab itself*. They are the ones keeping aid organizations out of Somalia, and are even conducting cross-border raids on Kenya to kidnap and murder aid workers.
American Delight wrote:
Muslims don't need banks to engage in hawala transactions. They can do that verbally over the phone with hawala dealers in Somalia. I'm glad the banks recognize the risks of remittances to Somalia, but such remittances will only continue "informally" outside the conventional banking sector.
..............................
Very true, American Delight. This will not stop Jihad terror funding—but at least it will stop Infidel banks in Minnesota from having to participate in our own destruction.
In fact, by its very nature, most Hawala transfers are *not* done through banks or other legitimate Western financial institutions. A lot of Somali-owned shops in the Minneapolis area do Hawala transfers—legally or otherwise.
I still find it mind boggling that Al Franken is a United States Senator.
I can drive down Cedar day or night and find half a dozen hawalas (that also take WIC and EBT and sell halal goat meat!) looking all scummy and seedy and open for business, staffed by yet another glassy-eyed khat chewer, while the clueless leftest college students walk down the same street and congratulate themselves for living near such a "diverse" neighborhood.
Meanwhile, across the street, the Minnesota taxpayer-backed housing circus complex towers like an obscene 70's school auditorium, filled to the gills with the Somalis who were smart enough to escape their fellow Muslims, only to find nearly the same stranglehold in charming Lake Woebegone herself. Every woman billows, every man saunters, there is no hustle...no bustle. Never a hurry except to the mailbox on the third of the month.
The money spigot to terror-sponsoring countries, including those who fail to stop their jihadi problems, must stop. If they want humanitarian aid, let them hold up their arms and allow the West to sweep these cockroaches from the face of the earth. I say one Christian missionary with an M-16 and a truckload of rice should solve their little infestation pretty quickly.
Franken, you are the biggest embarrassment my state has right now, and you do not have the right to ruin my state or country to prop up your Utopian cuckoo fantasy. Ciresi's left shoe is better than you ever were. Clod.
No one can accuse me of being sympathetic towards radicals. Or immigrants for that matter. Of which this country has a policy of "open door". But speaking from a humanitarian point of view Franklin probably has a point. Is there some other vehicle that they can use? Funnel the money through legitimate Missionary services or something? Any suggestions other than slamming Frankin right off the bat?
Good for the banks, this has been a long time coming. I know that there are good Somalis living in Minnesota, however, there is a large concentration actively aiding Jihad. The banks are right in stopping money transfers, but the real need here is to stop the immigration of Somalis immediately. There is not an honest Muslim who can really take the oath of citizenship for the US. Don't believe me? Go to the INS web site and read the oath. But since Muslims supporting Islams tactics can lie, they swear to do what they darn well know they are not going to do.
I was thinking the same thing...from a comedian to a Senator!
Hi ipa.
I was thinking, "is this the American Dream: from Al Franken to All Frankenstein"?
By the way, he was never really a comedian. Offhand I can't think of anything he said that was funny.
Bank Manager in Minnesota: "You want to send $10,000 dollars to Hawaii? Sure! Just fill out this form."
Somali Terro Funder: "No. Hawali. I to send money Hawali."
Bank Manager in Minnesota: "Ok, so, what bank in Hawaii are we talking about - do you have the swift code?"
Somali Terror Funder: "No swift. Just Jihad. You put Jihad on form for Hawali."
Bank Manager in Minnesota: "Ok, so... first name, "jihad", and the recipient's last name?"
Somali Terror Funder: "Only Jihad."
Bank Manager in Minnesota: "Right. Got it. Mr. 'Jihad Jihad'. And what bank is this going to in the islands again?"