Here's a disturbing bit of information: US pensions are bankrolling terrorists.
Average Americans are unknowingly funding terrorism through investments made by their public pension systems in companies that do business in terrorist-sponsoring nations, according to a new report issued by the Center for Security Policy in Washington, D.C.No wonder economic threats and sanctions are rarely effective. I'm surprised this is legal, though I know little about the intricacies of the pension set-ups. Are these investments purposeful and direct, or indirect through layers of parent and child companies, or what? I'd like more information on this matter.Through analysis of investment portfolios, the Center found that America's top 100 public pension funds hold nearly $200 billion worth of stock in companies that operate in countries listed by the U.S. Department of State as state sponsors of terrorism.
The report, entitled, "Terrorism Investments of the 50 States" reveals that these pension systems invest in 101 companies that do $73 billion worth of business with designated terrorist regimes. The countries included in the report are Iran, Libya, Sudan, Syria and North Korea. The former Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein was also featured in the report. ...
He added that pension funds have "gone to considerable lengths to remain indifferent" to this critical situation and "many of them cannot identify to this day within their own portfolios what companies they are holding that have these sorts of ties."
