Follow the Money

IN the welter of events following the catastrophe at the World Trade Center, few noticed that the first man arrested, Mohammed Salameh—the poor, unemployed illegal immigrant from an impoverished family—volunteered $5 million to bail himself out. Where did this money come from? Subsequently, the FBI identified more than $100,000 transferred from Europe to the bank accounts of Salameh and others. Is the same source responsible for funding the eight men arrested in Queens for allegedly planning to blow up tunnels and bridges and assassinate public officials?

In 1992 Congress passed a law authored by Senator Grassley giving federal courts jurisdiction over civil suits filed against terrorist organizations by American victims. The law also requires the Treasury Department to report assets held in the United States by terrorist countries and organizations. Grassley’s initiative was prompted by the common wisdom of “follow the money trail.” But the Treasury Department did not comply with the law.

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About the Author

Rachel Ehrenfeld

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Department of the Treasury

Chuck Grassley

Islamism

IN the welter of events following the catastrophe at the World Trade Center, few noticed that the first man arrested, Mohammed Salameh—the poor, unemployed illegal immigrant from an impoverished family—volunteered $5 million to bail himself out. Where did this money come from? Subsequently, the FBI identified more than $100,000 transferred from Europe to the bank accounts of Salameh and others. Is the same source responsible for funding the eight men arrested in Queens for allegedly planning to blow up tunnels and bridges and assassinate public officials?

In 1992 Congress passed a law authored by Senator Grassley giving federal courts jurisdiction over civil suits filed against terrorist organizations by American victims. The law also requires the Treasury Department to report assets held in the United States by terrorist countries and organizations. Grassley’s initiative was prompted by the common wisdom of “follow the money trail.” But the Treasury Department did not comply with the law.