Terror-free investment gathers steam

Poll Shows Overwhelming Support for Terror-Free Investing Programs,

Public Demanding Leadership to Combat Terror-Supporting Regimes

Terror-Free Investment Movement Gathers Steam:
‘Every Investment Dollar Should be Part of the Solution’

Washington, D.C. – Highlighting the rapidly growing national movement to ratchet up economic pressure on Iran, Syria, Sudan and other countries supporting terrorism, Missouri Treasurer Sarah Steelman today urged other states, the federal government and individual investors to follow her lead by supporting terror-free investing.

“I was shocked to learn that a portion of our state pension funds supported corporations that were invested in Iran and other countries that work with terrorists,” Ms. Steelman said.   “We can invest our money just as easily, and even more successfully, without helping prop up these kinds of regimes – and that’s exactly what we’ve done in Missouri.   We can’t do it alone, though, and it’s gratifying to see other states following our lead.”

Citing results of a new national poll showing 77% of Americans backing terror-free investment, Ms. Steelman added, “This is a powerful idea. Popular support for this idea is enormous – once the public finds out the truth about where their funds are being invested.   Informed investors and the people across this country want action to isolate companies that are helping our enemies, directly or indirectly.”

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Treasurer Steelman was joined Tuesday at the National Press Club by: Debra Burlingame, a prominent spokesperson for 9/11 families whose brother, Charles “Chic” Burlingame, was the pilot of the hijacked plane that was flown into the Pentagon five years ago; by Frank Gaffney, president and CEO of the Center for Security Policy and sponsor of the DivestTerror.org initiative; and by Larry Moscow, senior vice president at Luntz, Maslansky Strategic Research.

Ms. Burlingame and Mr. Gaffney elaborated on the importance of the terror-free investment movement – at the state level, with initiatives in Ohio, California, Georgia and other states, and at the federal level, with bills introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Tom Lantos (D-CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL).

“The Divest Terror Initiative train is leaving the station, and we’re here to encourage every elected leader in Washington and in all 50 states to get on board,” Mr. Gaffney said. “For too long, too many Americans have felt powerless in the face of terrorists determined to hurt us.   Terror-free investing is something that can unite our country, a way for millions of Americans to have a say in how to enhance our security by telling corporations that partner with terrorist-sponsoring nations that they can do business with our enemies or with us, but not both.”

“On the morning of 9/11 – and since that day – Americans have been asking ‘What can we do to stop the scourge of terrorism?”   Here is something they can do, and now we know that they want to do it,” Debra Burlingame observed.

Ms. Burlingame added, “Where is Wall Street?   It was the financial district that was targeted when those planes hit.   Our enemies understand how to use economics to hurt us.   We have to use this tool against them.”

Larry Moscow presented the details of the just-completed national poll, which underscores the broad base of support among Americans to use terror-free investing to help fight terrorism. “The survey revealed an unmistakably strong attitude on this subject.   Some of the key findings include the fact that 84% of Americans strongly agree – with only 4% disagreeing –   that investors have a fundamental right to know if their investment dollars are going to support companies that do business in terror supporting countries,” Moscow said.

“More than 80% say that if they learned that a company in which they have invested was found to be doing business in a place like Iran, Syria or Sudan, they would either sell that investment or demand the company cease doing business with the terror supporting nation,” Mr. Moscow continued.   “And 79% of Americans say they feel so strongly about this issue that they want those companies completely out of their investment portfolios, even if it meant a slightly lower rate of return.   That is a powerful statement.”

Mr. Gaffney, whose organization’s DivestTerror.org initiative is supporting terror-free investing awareness efforts at the state and federal levels, concluded the press conference by pointing out that roughly 50% of the world’s capital is invested in American capital markets or owned by American investors.

“The American investing public can play a potentially decisive role in this War for the Free World,” Gaffney argued.   “By deciding to have their money invested terror-free, we can take billions of dollars away from the regimes that enable the people trying to kill us – possibly changing not only the behavior of such regimes, but the governments themselves, as was the case when a similar effort was mounted against apartheid South Africa.

The DivestTerror.org campaign encouraged American investors to take the “Terror-Free Investment Pledge” which was unveiled at the press conference.

Terror-Free Investment Pledge

As a matter of principle:

I have a right to know exactly where my investments are going.

I have a right to be informed if companies I have invested in are doing business with foreign regimes that support terrorism.

I have a right to choose to invest in companies that further the interests of security and safety worldwide and to interact with countries, companies, and people who do not associate with terrorist organizations or their sponsors.

I have a right to insist that my money NOT go toward supporting terrorist activities, directly or indirectly, or the countries that sponsor them.

As a concerned investor, I pledge to pull all of my investments from companies that do business with terrorist-sponsoring countries, and I will only invest in certified “terror-free” funds and companies in the future.

I sign this pledge as an investor who wants to be clear about where I stand on this issue and to encourage others to stand with me.   And I sign my name to this pledge because I believe that genuine accountability, transparency and commitment to promoting – not undermining – our security should be the responsibility of publicly traded companies, as well as nations.