Terror-free investing
Encyclopedia
Terror-free investing describes an investment strategy
which seeks to maximize financial return while assuring investors that the financial instruments in the portfolio are "terror-free".
The Center for Security Policy
, a Washington-based neoconservative think tank
, is a major force behind the movement. "Terror-free investment is a train that we believe is picking up steam," according to Frank Gaffney
, Jr., a Reagan
-era Defense Department official, and president of the Center for Security Policy. Gaffney claims that one fifth of the portfolios of the largest American pension funds are in companies doing business in countries listed by the US as state sponsors of terrorism: Cuba
, Iran
, North Korea
, Sudan
, and Syria
.
The Global Security Risk Monitor of the Conflict Securities Advisory Group is a research group established to attract clients interested in "Terror-Free Investing," by assuring them that none of their investments will aid groups or states that are considered by the US as sponsors of terrorism.
Eighteen American states have passed laws requiring the divestment
of state pension funds from firms doing business with Iran, due in part to accusations that Iran supports terrorist organizations, and partially due to its controversial nuclear program
.
Investment strategy
In finance, an investment strategy is a set of rules, behaviors or procedures, designed to guide an investor's selection of an investment portfolio...
which seeks to maximize financial return while assuring investors that the financial instruments in the portfolio are "terror-free".
The Center for Security Policy
Center for Security Policy
The Center for Security Policy is a Washington, D.C. think tank that focuses on national security issues. The Center was founded in 1988 by Frank Gaffney, Jr....
, a Washington-based neoconservative think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
, is a major force behind the movement. "Terror-free investment is a train that we believe is picking up steam," according to Frank Gaffney
Frank Gaffney
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. is the founder and president of the American Center for Security Policy, columnist at the Washington Times, blogger at Big Peace and radio host on Secure Freedom Radio....
, Jr., a Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
-era Defense Department official, and president of the Center for Security Policy. Gaffney claims that one fifth of the portfolios of the largest American pension funds are in companies doing business in countries listed by the US as state sponsors of terrorism: Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
The Global Security Risk Monitor of the Conflict Securities Advisory Group is a research group established to attract clients interested in "Terror-Free Investing," by assuring them that none of their investments will aid groups or states that are considered by the US as sponsors of terrorism.
Eighteen American states have passed laws requiring the divestment
Divestment
In finance and economics, divestment or divestiture is the reduction of some kind of asset for either financial or ethical objectives or sale of an existing business by a firm...
of state pension funds from firms doing business with Iran, due in part to accusations that Iran supports terrorist organizations, and partially due to its controversial nuclear program
Nuclear program of Iran
The nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program. The support, encouragement and participation of the United States and Western European governments in Iran's nuclear program continued until the 1979 Iranian Revolution...
.
See also
- Socially responsible investingSocially responsible investingSocially responsible investing , also known as sustainable, socially conscious, or ethical investing, describes an investment strategy which seeks to consider both financial return and social good....
- Definition of terrorismDefinition of terrorismThere is neither an academic nor an international legal consensus regarding the proper definition of the word "terrorism". Various legal systems and government agencies use different definitions of "terrorism". Moreover, the international community has been slow to formulate a universally agreed...
- List of designated terrorist organizations
- U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist OrganizationsU.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations"Foreign Terrorist Organization" is a designation of non-United States-based organizations declared terrorist by the United States Secretary of State in accordance with section 219 of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act...
- State Sponsors of Terrorism