To the Point

Finance as a Weapon

Calling the money trail of alleged terrorists "the financial equivalent of law enforcement's most wanted list," President Bush has frozen the assets of 27 individuals and organizations. He's also banned financial transactions with them in an attempt to starve terrorists of their funding. We examine the President's financial assault on Osama bin Laden, from high-tech transactions to the ancient Hawala system of money exchange, with experts on finance, terrorism, and crime. We also hear about a fax that appears to have been sent by bin Laden to rally support for what the fax calls "the new Jewish and Christian crusader campaign." Newsmaker: SAS Troops in Clash with Taliban in Afghanistan - Several papers in Great Britain report that soldiers belonging to that country's elite SAS have exchanged fire with Taliban troops near Afghanistan's capital of Kabul. James Clark, who helped write the story for the Sunday Times of London, expounds on the possible reason and results of the logistically and politically risky operation. Reporter's Notebook: Defense Department Intelligence Analyst Charged As Cuban Spy - The FBI has arrested a top analyst for the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency. Ana Belen Montes is charged with spying for Cuba, the country she was supposed to be monitoring. Former National Intelligence Council head Greg Treverton assesses the potential damage, downplaying the likelihood of a connection to recent terrorist events.