Financial Action Task Force Briefing to CTC 26 October 2009

Read it here.

Intelligence community legal reference book

The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence has declassified its Intelligence Community Legal Reference Book from which the US intelligence community ‘draws much of its authority and guidance’. Download the 949 pages here.

European bank data transfers must comply with European standards, say MEPs

Members of the Civil Liberties Committee voiced concern early September over the interim agreement under negotiation between the EU and the United States on data transfers via the SWIFT network. They criticised the Council’s choice of legal base and demanded to be involved in the drafting of the agreement.

John Brennan on the US counterterrorism policy

Remarks by John O. Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, As Prepared for Delivery “A New Approach to Safeguarding Americans, 6 August 2009. Read the speech here.
Interview with Brennan here. Comments in the LA Times and the WSJ.

New reports

UK House of Lords EU Committee: Money laundering and the financing of terrorism Volume I: ReportUK House of Lords EU Committee: Money laundering and the financing of terrorism Volume II: Evidence
CER – Intelligence, emergencies and foreign policy: The EU’s role in counter-terrorism
NYU Law Review – Addressing the incentives problem of the state secrets privilige
Freedom House [...]

Pakistan government focuses on militants, but hard line charities exhort refugees to jihad

Ahmed Rashid says in the LA Times that while Pakistan’s army has begun a decisive military offensive, to drive the Pakistani Taliban and other extremist groups out of South Waziristan, it remains to be seen whether the government will be able to overturn the army’s longtime support for the Taliban.
In the meantime the New York [...]

Two banks breach Australian laws on laundering and terror finance

Australia’s money-laundering watchdog, Austrac, has found the British financial institution Barclays Bank and the Chinese banking corporation Mega International failed over a period of years to prevent their services from potentially being used by criminals to launder the proceeds of crime or finance terrorist operations. Banks operating within Australia are required by law to report [...]

FATF Document – International Best Practices on Freezing of Terrorist Assets

Read it here.
At the same time researchers have alleged that “half a dozen terrorist” or militant groups, including the Pakistani Taliban, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Hezbollah, leftwing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia rebels in Colombia and the Real Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland, relied on black market tobacco for revenue.
“We believe that [...]

Documents Back Saudi Link to Extremists

Documents gathered by lawyers for the families of Sept. 11 victims which provide new evidence of extensive financial support for Al Qaeda and other extremist groups by members of the Saudi royal family, were leaked anonymously to lawyers for the families. The Justice Department had the lawyers’ copies destroyed and now wants to prevent a [...]

Terrorism Finance Laws Undermine American Muslims’ Religious Freedom, Says ACLU

U.S. terrorism finance laws and policies unfairly prevent Muslim Americans from practicing their religion through charitable giving, create a climate of fear and distrust in law enforcement and undermine America’s diplomatic efforts in Muslim countries, according to an American Civil Liberties Union report out today. The 164 page report, “Blocking Faith, Freezing Charity,” is the [...]