US to seize New York skyscraper secretly owned by Iran

AFP
8 hours ago


http://news.yahoo.com/us-seize-york-skyscraper-secretly-owned-iran-015924951.html


The United States is set seize control of a midtown Manhattan skyscraper prosecutors claim is secretly owned by Iran, the justice department said, though the ruling is to be appealed.

The seizure and sale of the 36-story building, in the heart of New York City on Fifth Avenue, would be "the largest-ever terrorism-related forfeiture," the statement added.

A federal judge ruled in favor of the government's suit this week, saying the building's owners had violated Iran sanctions and money laundering laws.

Manhattan Federal Prosecutor Preet Bharara said the decision upholds the justice department claims the owner of the building "was (and is) a front for Bank Melli, and thus a front for the Government of Iran."

Bharara said the funds from selling the building would provide "a means of compensating victims of Iranian-sponsored terrorism."

Prosecutors allege the building's owners, the Alavi Foundation and Assa Corporation, transferred rental income and other funds to Iran's state-owned Bank Melli.

Alavi also ran a charitable organization for Iran and managed the building for the Iranian government, the statement said.

Built in the 1970s by a non-profit operated by the Shah of Iran -- and financed with a Bank Melli loan -- the building was expropriated by the new Iranian government after the 1979 revolution, prosecutors allege.

They said the Shah's non-profit, the Pahlavi Foundation, was renamed the Mostazafan Foundation of New York and then the Alavi Foundation.

A former president of the Alavi foundation pleaded guilty in 2009 to obstructing justice in destroying evidence related to the case, which was first filed in 2008.

The Alavi foundation plans to appeal, saying on its website it was "disappointed" with the ruling and that "it did not have the opportunity to rebut the Government evidence before a jury."

The US Treasury Department has instituted tight sanctions against Iran, blacklisting a number of Iranian companies and organizations and putting controls on the ability of any group or business to transfer funds into Iran.

The restrictions seek to pressure Tehran into giving up what the West says is a program to develop nuclear weapons.

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Edit/Unnecessary comment

 

I hope we sell it to an Israeli company.

 

It would be nice to think it would be sold to an American firm. My guess would be however, that once again a Chinese holding company will swoop in and purchase it, with full government approval.

*sigh*

Interesting article Mandrake, thanks.

 

You're probably right.

 

I wonder who these victims are?

For some reason Hong Kong phooey build up to the song came into my head....

 

The most notable victims that I heard would be compensated were those from the Marine Corps barracks bombing in 1983.

 

Something tells me you wouldn't be laughing if you had your property stolen from you.

In this new war on "terror" people get locked up, assassinated and robbed by the government who merely have to claim you are a terrorist or their supporter. Bank accounts can now be "frozen" and stolen based on stupid allegations.

But yeah like all the drone strikes, every single time the government cry 'witch' they are right, and you people jump up for joy when rights get trampled, so long as they aren't your rights.

Notice this is a terrorist related forfeiture, with NO TRIAL to determine there was any terrorism involved.

This is the new war of terror and theft.

 

I fully support our government taking this companies assets.

There are far FAR more ridiculous regulations that my company has to adhere to. If we don't they take my companies assets as well, same thing.

This regulation is pretty straight forward.

Don't so business with Iran.

 

sell the building and give the money to the folks who were held hostage in Tehran.

 

why is being linked to iran 'terrorism related' iran is a sovereign country not terrorists. are terrorists just whoever america says they are now?

 

well no terrorists are those that....you know....fund terrorism.......
You should look up Iran's history of that.

 

Its stolen property , not Israelis would have any qualms abt that but , they'd quickly seize the opportunity to grab it for a pittance well below its market value.

Edit/Unnecessary comment

 

America ( i.e. those b'stards in Washington/CIA etc) have a much worse record .


...

 

That Iran funds terrorism is not really a convincing justification. It's mainly because America and Iran are enemies.

 

only the Israelis would?

sounds like anti-Semitism.

 

How many Iranians were on the flights during 911??? Didn't we just admit to installing a puppet regime that was brutal?. Seems the terrorists are on Pennsylvania ave.

 

Iran funds Hamas on a yearly basis.

They are state sponsors of terrorism.

sorry if that bothers you.

 

Well if your friend's cousin's barber's coworker's cousin's mailman's grandmother's gardener's friend has at one point dialed a wrong phone number and that number was only two digits different than the phone number of somebody whose friend's uncle who at one point thought about the words 'Al Qaeda', then you are "AQ and associated forces" (you're associated aren't you)... Drone time!

Conversely, the Islamic extremists who are fighting alongside with AQ, in the same country as AQ, on the same mission as AQ, and you want to give them weapons, that's okay. They are completely different and not associated in the slightest so how dare you suggest it's wrong to give them weapons and cash and training.

So yes, it's like you say. A terrorist is whoever your trusty leaders say.

 

iran is a sovereign state with a place at the un this is laughable, and I dont think the united states is really in a position to be talking about funding terrorists you have done it on 5 continents, look up your own history first I think

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hamas arent terrorists even if the usa say they are, they are a political party

 

Hamas are considered terrorists by the EU and the USA.

They have conducted hundreds of terrorist acts throughout the last 30 years and today still commit acts of terror, like firing rockets into known civilian areas.

 

Well, I guess this is the answer to the people afraid of our enemies taking us over though economic warfare. The minute they turn hostile, the US Government will seize any of their land and property located here.

Although, I'm sure, this government seizure business is one of the nightmare scenarios that anti-government, paranoid folks worry about at night.

 

of course Iran didn't seize any American property in Iran after the Revolution.

 

At least six million civilians have been killed by American Military action since WWII.

 

And hezbollah

 

I know theyre considered terrorists by friends of israel that doesnt mean thats what they are. most people in the world consider america terrorists, they conduct much more acts of terrorism than anyone else killing many more than anyone else.