Fundraising - seize 'corrupt' politician's financial assets

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I couldn't help but cringe when I read the article U.S. Wants Foreign Leaders' Laundered Assets in today's NY Times. I truly don't know what the legality is of all the money that we are seizing. We froze and "seized" "terrorist" money - which is purportedly what the families of survivors of 9/11 is coming from. We have seized almost $3 Billion of Iraq's money. Now we want to seize the fianancial assests of "foreign leaders who (we) suspect of being corrupt"? Now here is a fundraising campaign worth keeping an eye on.

"Federal agents at a newly created multiagency task force in Miami have opened nine investigations into allegations of foreign money laundering in six Latin American countries, officials said. In at least one case, a high-ranking foreign official is under investigation, they said."

"The effort reflects an aggressive new strategy to try to trace "dirty" money in the United States to its foreign roots, in part by using expanded powers granted to the government under the USA Patriot Act, as the sweeping legislation passed after the Sept. 11 attacks is known, officials said."

Given the number of "corrupt" governments we have helped into power and supported once there, one has to wonder if this isn't a mechanism for keeping our henchman bought. "Stay bought or we will confiscate all your assets." Certainly a new ploy.

Posted by rowan at August 23, 2003 01:42 PM | TrackBack | Printable Version | [eMail this article!] |