In The News: American Terror Victims Deserve Their Day Before the High Court

In The News: American Terror Victims Deserve Their Day Before the High Court

June 13, 2022
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American Terror Victims Deserve Their Day Before the High Court
Michael R. Pompeo
The New York Post
June 13, 2022

The Supreme Court is set to decide if it will consider two important terror-financing cases centering on the ability of Americans who have been harmed in terrorist attacks to seek redress against financial institutions that knowingly funnel money to fronts for terrorist organizations such as Hamas.

Knowingly giving support to a foreign terrorist organization has been a federal crime since 1996. More, Congress has recognized that terror groups often hide their intent, using charitable fundraising to help finance slaughter, so such “charities” are inexorably entwined with their terrorist elements. Four successive administrations have worked to expose these schemes.

In these two new cases, the petitioners — 54 American families who have been victims of foreign terrorism — have fought for 16 years to reach a jury. The Biden administration, however, seeks to terminate their quest for justice. It seems the administration believes this course will confer more latitude to its overtures to belligerent entities bound to terrorism — including Iran, its leading sponsor.

Implicit in the Biden administration’s brief to the Supremes is that our courts should defer to other countries’ judgments instead of our own. This would set a horrendous precedent. Are we also to rely on such judgments made by the governments of Russia or China?

Terrorism derives a part of its power by encasing itself within a hall of mirrors. This complicates our reactions, which are difficult enough without the Bidenite attempt to remove a core element of our countervailing response ─ the attainment of civil remedies against those who knowingly facilitate terrorism. This will cost precious lives.

Read the full op-ed HERE