Beirut Bombing Victims Challenge Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation to Provide Specifics on Improvements It Wants to Iran Sanctions Legislation
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Saylor Company Public Relations Counsel under the direction and authority of Thomas Fay, Esq. and Steven Perles, Esq.Mar 06, 2012, 12:20 ET
WASHINGTON, March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 1300 surviving victims and families of those killed in the 1983 Beirut bombing in which 241 American servicemen were killed by an Iranian terrorist asset, today called upon the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) to provide specific recommendations to H.R. 4070 and S.2101 if it sincerely wants to "make the bill as effective as possible" as DTCC stated yesterday.
"We appreciate DTCC's public statement that it supports legislation to hold Iran responsible for its role in the Beirut bombing, but we call on it to put specific recommendations on the table for the 'technical matters' it says will make the bill better. We have had several discussions with DTCC about its views on H.R. 4070 and S. 2101, but its representatives have offered nothing concrete for anybody to consider. DTCC now says it will work with Congress and the Obama Administration 'to refine the bill.' We urge DTCC to offer concrete and constructive suggestions in those meetings so that we can all move ahead with invoking justice against Iran. DTCC can't have it both ways with public statements of support and destructive efforts behind closed doors in Congress and in the White House," said Lynn Smith Derbyshire, spokes person for the victims and families. Ms. Derbyshire's brother, Marine Captain Vincent Smith was killed in the bombing.
H.R. 4070, by Representative Bob Turner (R-9-NY) with a broad list of bipartisan co-sponsors, makes it easier for American victims of Iranian terrorism to collect court ordered judgments against state sponsors of terrorism and clarifies existing law that enforces how Iranian assets may be attached in such cases. The bill is pending in the House Foreign Affairs, Financial Services and Judiciary Committees.
S. 2101 by Senators Menendez (D-NJ) and Kirk (R-IL) was reported unanimously out of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs provides similar measures. S. 2101 received praise last week from Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in testimony before the Senate Committee on Foreign relations. A floor vote on S. 2101 is expected in the near future.
Ms. Derbyshire says her group is"willing to continue the heretofore fruitless discussions with DTCC." Still she says her families have "gone the extra mile to make sure this bill is effective," including working with one of the leading experts in international business law, University of Pennsylvania Law Professor Charles Mooney , who has said, "The bill creates no significant additional burdens to the US securities holding system. It actually helps US financial institutions by defining their responsibilities under existing law sanctioning Iran and its financial institutions."
This release is distributed by Saylor Company Public Relations Counsel under the direction and authority of Thomas Fay, Esq. and Steven Perles, Esq., legal counsel for the Beirut bombing victims group mentioned in the release.
SOURCE Saylor Company Public Relations Counsel under the direction and authority of Thomas Fay, Esq. and Steven Perles, Esq.
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