Terror Ties?

" Major move by federal prosecutors seizing several mosques and a skyscraper reportedly owned by Iran. The a lobbying foundation has been named in the criminal complaint but it's a front for the -- in government say offense. The US government now in court trying to force the forfeiture. Of over 500 million dollars in assets including this 36 story tower. In Manhattan with -- Jim Walsh she's in. You Ron expert and research associate for MIT security studies program and Jim. We all talk about you know nuclear funding that he Ron keeps popping into -- put up this buy canned because the bank. Melanie which is Iran's biggest danger so people can get the next have been put us on the screen. This is what it deals with the bank of -- we know has funding for. Hezbollah. In Lebanon. We know the Taliban as well as Hamas the Taliban killing US soldiers Hamas firing rockets into southern Israel Hezbollah we know is active in Lebanon. I mean the question here is is this money. It is being raised in this country and being used to kill US troops abroad. Well I think."

" Then there if there's a relationship it's got a little more indirect and that it's not as if -- put in a dollar in my bank account here in new York and it ends up in a bank account in -- Taliban that. And then the tell that withdraws it -- a weapon that the relationship that's really grows out of a set of instruments that government has used to go after Iran's nuclear program. And that banking mansion is a government owned bank its Iran's government banker and so we're trying to go off after the revolutionary guard and we say if you do business with the revolutionary guard. We're coming after you took his bank you've been doing business with the revolutionary guard. And we say well you're gonna do business with this fact we're gonna also come after you. And this foundation apparently this is the allegation in federal court right now as at a financial relationship with the bag so. If you're doing business without bank will we're going after you that sort of -- it doesn't mean that the actual dollars and up in their hands -- this entity. Is that the sanction. And we're going after anyone who's gonna do business with -- that your sense Jim that their religious centers in cultural centers embassies and consulates in this country are. Are providing cover. For Iran against terror activities. What it would be reporting live it if I was Iran again trying to find a terrorist program I would not use a financing scheme. That was sort of dependent on what I did in on enemy territory that would be putting at risk. I think I think obviously all countries -- embassies and consulates use those consulates of Aruba but would promote that State's interest and I assume that's happening in Iran to. But -- Iran most of these activities it when they're -- they're funded directly by the government. They don't want you don't want rely on sort of a tricky financing scheme to keep your program afloat right but. This -- so that's essentially what we're going at you visited. Revolutionary guard -- You're the revenue which is Iran's military in essence it's all the branches of their military including a special forces which is -- we know union look at the treasury up department doesn't give you -- the rundown they believe that cousins are responsible for terrorist attacks on countries like France Italy Switzerland Germany Saudi Arabia. Now that's part of this entire issue is not. Absolutely. The rebels regarded that the heart of it because the US by legislation to sanction the revolutionary guard. That's why this bank is in trouble because the -- been doing business with the revolutionary -- and that's what this foundation is in trouble because it's been doing business with the bank. But the revolutionary guard its cash the cash it gets to find. Whatever operations it does either internally or externally that's coming directly from government coffers that's where it you know it's like -- government agency. If it relies on the state and rather than sort of odd financing schemes that does that mean there's an activity here that might be suspicious car but but it's more. More about pressuring and isolating the revolutionary guard that's what all these instruments are -- Jim Walsh Jim thank you --"