U.S. District Judge Charles P. Sifton in Brooklyn has denied motions to dismiss lawsuits which seek to blame Credit Lyonnais of France and National Westminster Bank of the United Kingdom for terrorist bombings in Israel linked to Hamas; the banks handled funds for charities which channeled funds to Hamas. Credit Lyonnais “[vainly] cited investigations in France that cleared the group of any wrongdoing.” (“U.S. judge refuses to dismiss terror finance suit vs French bank”, AP/International Herald Tribune, Oct. 5). Ted covered the lawsuits on Jan. 6 and Feb. 24 of this year.
Update: Blaming banks for terrorist attacks
U.S. District Judge Charles P. Sifton in Brooklyn has denied motions to dismiss lawsuits which seek to blame Credit Lyonnais of France and National Westminster Bank of the United Kingdom for terrorist bombings in Israel linked to Hamas; the banks handled funds for charities which channeled funds to Hamas. Credit Lyonnais “[vainly] cited investigations in […]
3 Comments
I can fully agree with a US judge not trusting a French “investigation” against a French company having links with Islamic terrorists. The French support those guys in their “struggle against Zionism” (iow, their campaign to destroy Israel and exterminate Judaism) after all, albeit not openly.
1) If we’re going to have American courts dictate French banks’ customers, do we want French courts’ dictating the speech of American websites?
2) Even if one wants American courts to dictate French banks’ customers, how is the French bank supposed to know that one of its customers is connected to terrorism? The US didn’t call the group terrorist until after the Hamas bombing in question, and Credit Lyonnais did respond by cutting off the group from the bank.
3) Where the heck is the causal link? Doesn’t proximate cause count for anything any more?
I don’t see why a US court is concerned with the responsibility of foreign companies with regard to terrorist attacks on foreign soil.