Israeli Troops Raid Palestinian Banks in the West Bank

[_Jumper_]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Israel-Palestinians.html?hp

<RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- Israeli forces burst into Palestinian banks on Wednesday, corralled employees, covered security cameras and seized at least $6.7 million in an unprecedented raid. Israel said Iran, Syria and Lebanese guerrillas sent the funds to Palestinian militants.

Israel said the system has been hijacked to finance Palestinian militant groups -- Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades -- that have killed more than 900 Israelis in bombings and shootings.

The raids marked the largest search yet for money transfers to militant groups and the first time forces hauled cash out of Palestinian banks. Last year, troops raided a bank in a West Bank suburb of Jerusalem, and the Palestinian Authority briefly froze the bank accounts of Palestinian charities in the Gaza Strip to check for possible links to Hamas.


A security source said Israel was not trying to harm the banks, and those whose money was confiscated can appeal to the army. The raids were aimed instead at deterring militant groups from using the banking system -- the safest and easiest way to transfer funds, the source said.>

[Resistance]

1. wonderful

in addition to murdering civilians, bulldozing homes, and stealing land, they're robbing banks now, too.

[JohnLocke]

15. I see you object to seizing terrorist funds used to kill people. Nice.

By the way, that money is now going toward humanitarian aid.

[Resistance]

16. LOL

the IDF bank-robbers are only "seizing terrorist funds"!!

Absolutely hilarious!!! :D

[JohnLocke]

17. Hmm....

"A statement by Israel's Government Press Office said the operation targeted bank accounts that were controlled by or that had received money from three radical organizations: Hezbollah, which launches frequent cross-border attacks against Israel from its bases in southern Lebanon, Islamic Jihad and the Islamic Resistance Movement, known as Hamas. The latter two are militant groups that have waged a deadly suicide bombing campaign against Israel in the last three years.
"An Israeli security official said the raids also targeted accounts of "terrorist operatives" and their families and "outlawed organizations," principally Islamic charities that are suspected of funneling money to terrorist groups. A second security official said that about $8 million was confiscated from approximately 400 accounts that were reviewed.
(...)
"Four branches of two banks, the Arab Bank and the Cairo-Arab Bank, were raided, Israeli security officials said. Police had search warrants for specific accounts, and "the banks will get a list of the accounts," one of the officials said. "We are giving the banks clear notice of what we've done." Officials said that the account holders who had funds confiscated would be allowed to appeal the seizure."

--- Washington Post

[Resistance]

18. EVERYONE GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR

ALL YOUR JEWELRY AND CASH - IN THE BAG NOW!!!!

NOW GODDAMMIT! I SAID NOW!!!

GIMME THAT CASH!

[Muddleoftheroad]

19. Terrorists operate in many ways

And need to be shut down in every way they operate.

[JohnLocke]

21. Excellent response.

[Resistance]

22. .

Banks? Robbed.

Land? Stolen.

Civilians? Murdered.

Peace Activists? Bulldozed.

Villages? Smashed.

Homes? Destroyed.

GAWD BLESS THA EYE-DEE-EFF!!!!

:dem: :dem: :dem:

[lefty_mcduff]

20. Hmm is right.

"and their families" Got me some idiot cousins that I haven't seen in years and I'd certainly hate to have my life savings confiscated because somebody suspected they where "terrorist operatives".

But that's OK - "people can appeal the seizure". If that wasn't so grim, it would be downright comical.

[number6]

23. got proof ?

..that all that money was "terrorist funds"

[DuctapeFatwa]

2. That will help the Policy of Starvation make even more progress!

There is no doubt that terrorists would have used that money to smuggle contraband food, water, and even medicine to Palestinians, in direct defiance of US/Israeli policy.

[Resistance]

3. I wonder what Kerry has to say about these reckless raids

probably total silence, like most U.S. politicians.

[_Jumper_]

4. That'll depend on whether he is in Michigan or New York

;)

[DuctapeFatwa]

5. Kerry has not been at all silent. He courageously upbraided bush for

his possibly well-intentioned but virulently offensive suggestion that sharon show restraint when deploying US-supplied helicopter gunships to fire into densely populated refugee camps, in the course of routine assassinations.

[madrchsod]

6. they covered the security cameras?

didn`t want anyone seeing how much money they stuck in their pockets? these slugs get worse everyday.....

[Resistance]

7. frankly I don't think it would matter if they're seen

Nobody will pay attention anyway - they've been openly stealing land for years on end, so why worry about a bank robbery?

[Muddleoftheroad]

8. No, they don't want their soldiers individually targeted by terrorists

[lefty_mcduff]

9. Scene from Heat (Val Kilmer, Robert Dinero)?

"...soldiers covered the banks' security cameras with black plastic bags and herded employees together before ordering workers with keys to open the vaults."

Nope. Just another bank heist by the glorious IDF.

Goons.

[mobuto]

10. Of course that's what it was

I mean its not like Saudi Arabia is paying the families of suicide bombers huge bonuses or anything, so the Israelis must be stealing pensioners' life savings. Right?

[lefty_mcduff]

11. With the amount of 'mistakes'

that the IDF is generally given passes for, then yes, there are probably some pensioners life savings included in the take. Probably some kid's first bank accounts too. Probably some drug dealers as well. So, what is your point?

[Herschel]

13. You have no reason to believe

the IDF is more or less corrupt than other enforcement agencies.

[Herschel]

12. Well done

Terrorist funds are confiscated. Lives are saved.

[Resistance]

14. LMAO

You're the best Hersch. Thanks! :silly: