“The Middle East is the center of graft and corruption in the universe.” Financial Jihad Update from Rowan Scarborough in the Washington Times, :
The U.S. military is not only trying to stop terrorists and arms from leaking into Iraq from Syria and Iran but also another just as dangerous commodity — cash.
It’s the lifeblood of the enemy — whether they be al Qaeda terrorists, death squads or Sunnis trying to evict American forces and bring back dictator Saddam Hussein — and U.S. raiders have seized millions of dollars in cash during the conflict.
Military officials point to Syria and its secretive banking system as the main source of Sunni walking-around money, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard funnels money to Shi’ite militias, such as cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army.
The enemy’s money began flowing into Iraq with the start of the insurgency in the summer of 2003, and the shipments are still coming in.
“There are billions coming in,” said Daniel Gallington, a former aide to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. “The Middle East is the center of graft and corruption in the universe. It really always has been. The fight in Iraq is about who controls what area is really all about who controls the money.”
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