[JohnW]

Hi Doug,

All these terrorist groups must be getting lots of dosh from somewhere. I'm quite sure it does not all come from the USA. Since 9/11 there have been some very strict internal controls imposed upon banks and other financial institutions with regard to the reporting of anything suspicious regarding new accounts and cash transactions over a certain amount. New accounts are severely vetted and financial institutions can be prosecuted with regard to due diligence when it comes to failing to report certain criteria and transactions. This, of course, is internal and the success of such an operation is very difficult to measure. I know much of this because I work for a credit union and my department is charged with reporting such things. Imagine how difficult
it must be to monitor international transactions where this country has no control over what is and isn't reported etc. If I'm a terrorist sympathiser living in America and I decide to send you some cash knowing that it will be forwarded to some terror organisation over in the UK, how are the authorities here supposed to monitor that? We have to rely on the UK being as diligent as we are. I'm sure that you are as diligent, but can the same be said of Ireland? Can the same be said of Saudi Arabia, and a whole miriad of other fringe countries that do not have the sophisticated technology or expertise that we have here in the west? I'm quite sure, that any one of us who wished to fund terrorism could find a way to do so if we worked at it. In fact, anyone who uses illegal drugs is more than likely, unwittingly or not, funding terrorism. I am quite sure that by the law of averages, that must include some of the people who are posting to this very forum. I have never considered you a patronising sort of person. I'm quite sure that you and I can have a difference of opinion without falling out or being insulted.

My main concern in all of this is to try to establish that America and Britain are truly friends. Even friends so large and powerful have differences of opinion. But 'Yank bashing' seems to be a bit popular at the moment and I think it is sadly misplaced. You and I can agree to differ on this forum and nothing of importance in our lives is going to be changed. When superpower-friends have differences of opinion there is a lot more at stake, but they are still friends. They still need to work together to try to reach a mutually beneficial solution to whatever problem is on the table.