In an attempt to cut off financial support for the al-Shabaab terrorist organization, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has prohibited US banks from handling money transfers to Somalia. These transfers, mostly from Somali immigrants in the US and Europe, account for nearly half of Somalia's GDP and provide an essential lifeline for millions of impoverished Somalis.
In a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry last week, eight members of Congress sought unsuccessfully to stop the OCC's action:
http://ellison.house.gov/sites/ellison.house.gov/files/wysiwyg_uploaded/...
We urge the Obama Administration to recognize Somalia's urgent humanitarian needs and open alternative channels for legitimate remittances to the civilian population.