In light of the U.S. government's charging that Iran was behind a fresh terrorism plot in Washington, the U.S. Congress and Treasury Department should move immediately to halt the takeover of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) by Deutsche Borse Group, a foreign company whose subsidiary, according to a lawsuit, helped Iran hide assets from American victims of terror.
Surviving victims and families of the 1983 terrorist bombing of a Marine barracks in Beirut won a $2.66 billion judgment against Iran for its role in the 1983 bombing that killed 241 American servicemen. They have filed evidence in federal court in New York alleging, among other things, that Clearstream Banking, SA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Borse Group, attempted to hide $2,250,000,000 in Iranian assets by moving them through the American financial system and diverted $250,000,000 of that to put it out of reach of U.S. courts.
"This is outrageous. We shouldn't coddle a financial institution that appears to be protecting the assets of a government planning terrorism attacks on U.S. soil," said Lynn Smith Derbyshire, whose brother Marine Captain Vincent Smith was killed in the Beirut blast.
"Last week we asked how this deal made any sense while the U.S. government was imposing financial sanctions on the rogue government of Iran. It allows the heart of America's financial system to fall under the control of a foreign company whose major subsidiary protects Iranian assets. It made no sense last week and it makes less sense when Iran appears to be actively planning terrorism attacks in Washington," she said.
"The Obama Administration has said it will look at every option to respond to what may turn out to be an act of war by Iran. Accordingly, we believe the federal government should reexamine the NYSE-Deutsche Borse merger because the events this week create vastly different circumstances. Any company that is allegedly protecting Iranian financials needs a much tougher review today than last week," Ms. Derbyshire said.
"Anything even remotely connected to Iran should get even deeper scrutiny, especially a merger that involves the very heart of the U.S. economy," she said.
Last week, the group sent a letter to Secretary Geithner, asking that he use his influence as the Chair of the Committee on Foreign investment in the United States (CFIUS) to reconsider the August approval it gave to the NYSE merger.
The group's letter based the request on a lawsuit filed in New York by more than 1000 individuals and families that alleges that Clearstream Banking, SA, a wholly owned Deutsche Borse subsidiary helped to hide attached Iranian Government funds that were to be used to pay them part of a $2.66 billion judgment against Iran for its role in the bombing. The group said the NYSE merger could pose a national security threat to the United States because of Clearstream Banking, SA's ties to the Iranian Government.
"Our lawsuit maintains there is a connection with the Government of Iran and Clearstream Banking, SA. While the Courts have yet to prove that, our attorneys have presented evidence - some of which is under protective seal –which we think makes the case. In light of that and what we saw the Attorney General announce yesterday about Iran's continued terrorism against our Country, we suggest that a re-evaluation of this merger by the CFIUS in only prudent. There is no need for face saving by the Committee now. A second look with an eye towards how Iranian funds flow in and out of this country and how that might affect management of the NYSE now seems to us to be more of a national security issue than ever before," she concluded.
Ms. Derbyshire said her group has not received a response to its letter to Secretary Geithner.
This release is issued by Saylor Company Public Relations under the direction of legal counsel, Thomas Fortune Fay.
