
International Sanctions - Countering Financing of Terrorism
Kerry Grass, Asia Pacific AML
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance requires consideration of geographic risk indicators. How well balanced are AML/CFT indicators?
As an AML/CFT compliance specialist, I take interest in events occurring in the Middle East region of the globe. In most recent times the world has witnessed Israel striking civilians, causing death and grievous wounds to innocent men, women and children.
Miraculously, I have not yet heard of economic sanctions being issued against Israel. Why is there such an imbalance in AML/CFT international principles?
We now see Israel taking aim at Iran - claiming Iran is manufacturing nuclear power plants to develop a nuclear weapon. On this basis, Israel is claiming a right to send bombs into civilian territory of Iran's capital, Tehran.
Where is the evidence of this 'suspicion' that Iran is developing nuclear weapons? Iran claims the development of nuclear power plants is to provide its people energy to their homes.
Israel now claims it sneaked in weapons of mass destruction into Iran for the purpose of attacking Iran's assets.
How well aligned are international sanctions to preventing Israel from committing these acts of terrorism?
Is Israel one of the countries taking advantage of New Zealand's weaknesses in having no government oversight in ensuring enforcement of United Nations Sanctions?
When will the Western world see Israel as a sanctioned country for its acts of crime and harm to innocent civilians?
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scoop
2 days ago
- Scoop
Israel's Terrorist Attack On Iran: For What?
For 20 months, Israel's government and occupation forces have pursued a campaign of genocide in Gaza, interspersed with destruction and land grabs in the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria. Now Israel has indulged its long-held desire to attack Iran, a nation of 92 million people. Israel claims that this was a pre-emptive attack, a necessary act of self-defence to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. US State Department intelligence findings flatly contradict that claim. While it calls Iran a nuclear threat, Israel is the only Middle Eastern state with nuclear weapons – undeclared, uninspected, and therefore all the more dangerous. We, Jewish groups in 19 countries, believe that Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu acted to divert attention from Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza and its daily attacks and land seizures in the West Bank, and to extend Israel's imperial domination over more of the Middle East. He further seeks to extend his own rule (and evade jail). Netanyahu has long wanted to lure the US directly into war against Iran. Ultimately, he seeks to bring down the Iranian government, in denial of the right of the Iranian people to chart their own way forward. Shortly before it attacked Iran, the IDF virtually cut Gaza's last communications and imposed a complete siege on the West Bank. Hourly, it pursues genocide in darkness. On June 20, Al Jazeera counted over 170 Palestinians killed in Gaza this week, while they were trying to obtain the food that they have a right to obtain. It is too easy to condemn only Netanyahu, who is already on trial domestically and wanted internationally for crimes of genocide. The problem is wider. This regional war-crime spree is inherent in the logic of Zionism. Since 1947, the Zionist project has systematically expelled and murdered Palestinians. It has pursued territorial expansion and regional domination inspired by Western imperialism, while claiming victimhood as a persecuted Jewish collective. Israel's role remains dependent on the full support – diplomatic, military and economic – of Western powers. Donald Trump, ever ready to claim destruction as his own, openly refers to Israel's attack as an action 'we' undertook. The German Chancellor says that Israel is 'doing dirty work for all of us.' Global Jews for Palestine rejects Israel's atrocities and its racist narrative. This widening suffering and chaos will continue until all countries make it end. Governments must cease arming and justifying Israel's crimes, and instead they must impose effective sanctions on Israel. As the world's highest court has advised, we call on our governments to stop normalising and start bringing this disaster to its only credible end: ceasefire, accountability, and justice which realises the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. We, Jews from around the world urge all governments to abandon the racist, reckless project of Zionism and start the urgent work of justice. We pledge to continue and intensify our efforts to end occupation, genocide and the wider military adventures which threaten to engulf us all. MORE ABOUT GLOBAL JEWS FOR PALESTINE We are Jews from many countries, who are members of local, national and international networks and organizations. We are multi-ethnic and multigenerational and our members embrace a broad range of viewpoints on Jewish religious and ethical traditions. We are connected by our involvement in the struggle for Palestinian rights, and by our determination to work for justice. We oppose Zionism and all forms of racism and colonialism. We believe that it is our particular responsibility to challenge Jewish organizations whose alliances and actions undermine Palestinian human and national rights, promote Jewish exceptionalism, and overturn Jewish social justice traditions. At the heart of our work is the fight for Palestinian liberation and the struggle for a world free of racial and ethnic hierarchy, colonial domination, and unbridled militarism.


Scoop
3 days ago
- Scoop
International Sanctions - Countering Financing of Terrorism
Kerry Grass, Asia Pacific AML Anti-Money Laundering Compliance requires consideration of geographic risk indicators. How well balanced are AML/CFT indicators? As an AML/CFT compliance specialist, I take interest in events occurring in the Middle East region of the globe. In most recent times the world has witnessed Israel striking civilians, causing death and grievous wounds to innocent men, women and children. Miraculously, I have not yet heard of economic sanctions being issued against Israel. Why is there such an imbalance in AML/CFT international principles? We now see Israel taking aim at Iran - claiming Iran is manufacturing nuclear power plants to develop a nuclear weapon. On this basis, Israel is claiming a right to send bombs into civilian territory of Iran's capital, Tehran. Where is the evidence of this 'suspicion' that Iran is developing nuclear weapons? Iran claims the development of nuclear power plants is to provide its people energy to their homes. Israel now claims it sneaked in weapons of mass destruction into Iran for the purpose of attacking Iran's assets. How well aligned are international sanctions to preventing Israel from committing these acts of terrorism? Is Israel one of the countries taking advantage of New Zealand's weaknesses in having no government oversight in ensuring enforcement of United Nations Sanctions? When will the Western world see Israel as a sanctioned country for its acts of crime and harm to innocent civilians?


Scoop
4 days ago
- Scoop
Israeli Attack On The Islamic Republic Of Iran's Territory Is An Attack On International Values
The ongoing aggression and attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran constitute grave violation of the Iranian people's rights to peace, freedom and territorial integrity. NACI condemns in the strongest terms possible this illegal, unjustifiable, unprovoked and immoral aggression and attack against the Islamic Republic of Iran. NACI is of the opinion that this act of overt military aggression threatens stability in the broader region and across the world. We join the civilised global community in calling for the immediate cessation of violence. We call on the chaotic and client media to end fanning the embers of violence and war crime attacks against civilians in the Mid-east region. NACI members across Africa and the diasporas are deeply alarmed and concerned by the profound human suffering that the Israeli action is causing wide spread humanitarian consequences and result in the senseless deaths of innocent Iranian people, officials and destruction of civilian infrastructural facilities. We therefore, reiterate the urgent need for promoting peace and the rule of international law, and the importance of long-term bridge building. We commend the bravery of concerned individuals and groups all over the world, who are expressing their opposition to war, and make it very clear that the ongoing war between Iran and Israel is unjustifiable and a damaging endeavour for all sides. This is not just an attack on the Islamic Republic and its ability to engage in and benefit from possession of its own nuclear powers. This is an attack on the principles of rules-based international order and human rights, and a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter. This aggression goes a long way to expose the political hypocrisy and double standards when dealing with different conflicts. When it comes to Israel, all acts that undermine international security and stability are excused in the name of self-defense. During this attack, which took place on the early hours of 13th June, 2025 Israel violently violated the airspace of Iraq and Syria, in a show of disregard for the sovereignty of its neighbours. Ostensibly, Israel claimed its action is to destroy Iran's nuclear capability, while Israel itself possesses an arsenal of nuclear weapons. In reality, Israel is pursuing regime change agenda in Iran, as they did in many countries. In the process, Israel repeatedly evades accountability. Unfortunately, the US and other Western countries continue to support Israel regardless of the nature of its unending aggression towards its neighbours. NACI stands with the people of Iran and supports them in this time of their horrific and unjustifiable suffering. The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its inherent right of self-defence and the Iranian armed forces' efforts to defend Iran's territorial integrity and population in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The West invented international law, and the same West is allowing Israel to violate it with impunity. We urge all countries to be consistent with international law and to put an end to Israel's crimes. This Israeli aggression and attack on Iran coincides with preparation of United Nations Conference, which is scheduled to take place next week on a possible two-state solution between Israel and Palestinians. It has been reported that the Trump administration in Washington has sent a diplomatic demarche to 185 countries that would attend the said UN conference next week, threatening that any anti-Israel actions will be viewed as opposition to US foreign policy interests. This was followed also by the reckless statement made by the ambassador of the US to Israel Mike Huckabee, who said: 'Muslim countries should give up some of their land to create a future Palestinian State, and that the US no longer pursuing the goal of an independent Palestinian State'. The timing of this aggression and attack on Iran coincided also with the ongoing starvation and genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza. As usual, Israel gets away with all kinds of severe violations. When the world tries to stop it, the US veto is ready at the UN. The result is a global legal system undermined by selective enforcement and geopolitical bias. The Israeli action is exacerbating souring prices in the global oil market, and this will affects poor countries, especially African countries. We advocate peace and an end to violence as means to settle political and religious ideological differences, and underline the need to adhere to and pursue universal values such as sustainable peace, respect for the rule of law, human rights, freedom and dignity. This is needed to make the world a peaceful place for humankind. NACI remains dedicated to supporting peace and two-state solution to end the genocide in Palestine. God save humanity!