It doesn't look like it to me.
Posted on 07/25/2006 7:53:21 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
A reader noticed something curious in a video from last night's "NBC Nightly News." Richard Engel, the network's Beirut bureau chief, is reporting from southern Lebanon, and at 1:07 in the video, as he's saying, "In Sidon, we found part of the financial district flattened," you briefly see an image of what look like uncut sheets of U.S. hundred-dollar bills.
Now, it's possible to buy uncut sheets from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, at premiums ranging from 12.5% to 275% over face value--but apparently only in denominations of up to $50. Anyhow, somehow we doubt these were collectibles.
A Treasury Department press release dated June 10, 2004, reports that Hezbollah has been involved in counterfeiting American money:
One of the most prominent and influential members of the Hizballah terrorist organization, along with two of his companies, was designated by the Treasury Department today under Executive Order 13224. Assad Ahmad Barakat has close ties with Hizballah leadership and has worked closely with numerous Islamic extremists and suspected Hizballah associates in South America's tri-border area (TBA), made up of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. . . .
Barakat has also been involved in a counterfeiting ring that distributes fake U.S. dollars and generates cash to fund Hizballah operations. As of early 2001, Barakat was one of two individuals reportedly in charge of distribution and sale of the counterfeit currency in the TBA.
Was this funny money in Engel's report from Sidon? We don't know, but it'd be a good question for him to investigate.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
bttt
In Mexico it is very difficult to find any bank or business that will cash an American $100 bill. Apparently it is the bill most frequently that is fraudently reproduced.
Doesn't make a lot of economic sense to forge a $1.
In Dearborn, MI they use these sheets as placemats at the diner.
It doesn't look like it to me.
Isn't it considered an act of war when a government entity counterfeits another nations's currency? And Hezbo-allah is a government entity given their legislative status in Lebanon.
(And of course there have been many reports of North Korea and a few reports of the ChiComs also 'oficially' counterfeiting US$.)
Looks like someone was photo copying serial numbers of bank notes for whatever reason.
Yeah, that's a possiblity. Very strange, but it doesn't look like they are printing bills for distribution. I have no idea what they are really doing.
It does look more like a couple of photocopies of stacks of bills than a print run.
Cops and the feds do that as evidence of bribes/drug money. Someone was keeping close track of their money!
The news to me is that Hizballah is involved; that said, it's not surprising. When I think of crime here in the USA, I think of theft for the most part (ie baby formula, etc.).
THANKS Jet Jaguar for pointing to it.
The North Koreans are also heavily into counterfeiting U.S. currency and are very good at it.
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