Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Thursday March 25 1999 — Page 29 French bankers square off against Holocaust claims Banks ' liability could be $5 billion John Authers and Samer Iskandar The Financial Times By to the state once they have French bankers are heading for a dash with US campaigners calling for European financial institutions to compensate Holo- caust victims As has already happened in Switzerland and Germany French banks now face a class action lawsuit and the possibility of economic sanctions over their actions under the wartime Vichy regime There are also threats that the $164 billion merger of Paribas and Societe Generate the largest in the French bank sector could be delayed by New York regulators 5(0)$ All W Elan Steinberg executive d director of the New World Jewish Congress which led the campaign against the Swiss estimates the liability of French banks to Holocaust survivors is “at least $5 billion” York-base- (LAtHKSd R7 urangejups- He compared them unfavorably with their Swiss and German counterparts saying: “If they aren't willing to cooperate then we both will go down a very - f2 pn CACHE VALLEY MALL xplm L April 30 1999 CVw Vtutr uplm Vi u unpleasant road The bottom line is that if French banks want to operate on a global level they have to adopt global standards of behavior” 235S April 30 Nobody denies that French banks behaved disgracefully towards the Jews during the 199tj Vichy regime It was illegal for Jews to be involved in banking and the banks helped to impound and confiscate Jewish assets In December 1941 after a German soldier was killed by the Resistance the occupying authorities levied a “fine” of $166 million on the Jewish communities Banks were again instrumental in paying it Find The Easter Savings o Look for the colored eg&s to find Huge Savings on all our Pianos! h However the French case could prove more divisive than previous Holocaust campaigns off The French banking industry has already embarked on an exhaustive process to determine how much it should pay Its members deeply object to US interference In February 1997 — well before the first lawsuits in the US — Alain Juppe then French prime minister appointed Jean Malleoli a former cabinet minister and president of the Resistance Foundation to head a new He historical commission appointed remaining members in conjunction with Crif the main Jewish representative organization in France That commission published its second working pro l§Pi3Enis50tff QptaphczjbCSSSdF j"i With any purchase pick an egg from the blaster Basket and get up to an additional $100 off or Dinner for 2 and much more! iAN$'np Cache Valley Mall 753-450- 0 Iv' mil -- f In GUmpaea Into the Life and Heart of By Erica Bulman Associated Press writer hj Hinckley Marjori dosena of ftunily member end (Honda share Easter Bunny am in Center Court 1 -- 1 iiAfi'VI V'K' 21" woman’ If you're ready to step up to a new level of perlyi last while supplies taster Bunny beginning enter Court treat for youl aonal and family study you’ll appreciate The Ultimate Guide to I ' Regular Bunny hours are: 4-Monday -- Friday 8 pm Saturday 11 am 8 pm r' 'i in-dep- Mi-- Show SATURdAy 27ih at 2:00 pM at Brauna! CAR MARch St’s Pie xrf jrites Copper Rivet Vanity Foot Locker 14" ’1 & IflLLEYMXLL th vGospelink classes going on now Call Desert Book to sign up ' lrTS tour ftitfTnta to shop v t trit' Vi r ' Deseret Book® “a4 mi 7S2 yptdtMtty Mitt A wwwdeseretbookcom n w 'V !TCSfiBe : J-- physical integrity" 4 task it has started” More emotively the French Jewish community the world's third largest after Israel and the US also seems to be opposed to the WJC's aggressive tactics Theo Klein former president of Crif inveighed against the WJC in the New York Times attacking its “blind and arrogant approach” Steinberg said: “More than half the wartime Jewish population of France were refugees This is not simply a French Jewish issue” The litigation has moved slowly since the complaint against French banks was first filed in December 1997 No deliberations of any importance have yet taken place in court French banks and their lawyers also dismiss the threat that US approval of the SocGenParibas merger might be delayed “We are confident the legal and regulatory formalities will be settled according to the schedule that has been laid out" says a person involved in the talks But the threat of economic sanctions — which appeared to be decisive in persuading the Swiss banks to make a $125 billion settlement payment last year remains real “We are taking this threat very seriously" says a spokeswoman for a French bank active in the US The WJC will report next week to the committee of state and city officials which led the sanctions against the Swiss Steinberg says the report against the French will be “bleak” “The Matteoli commission has been in operation over two years” he says “and not one French franc has been returned” But Matteoli has ruled out “the method of a global settlement as was done in Switzerland and is currently being done by Germany” He said: “If the French government feels it has to give in to pressure from the WJC it will be its responsibility Personally I will not preside over an organism that is in charge of doing that” - j sentenced to death for plotting against Iraq's government or its officials said Van der Stoel A disproportionate number of Iraq's minority Shiites and Kurds were among those killed Van der Stoel also called on the Iraqi government to allow the Red Cross full and unrcxtrieled access to all Iraqi prisons and other detention centers He also criticized Iraq's failure to resolve the cases of the over 600 persons of Kuwaiti and nationality who disapthird-count- ry 1990 occupation of Kuwait With Iraq refusing to allow liberty and physical integrity” human rights monitors in the said former Dutch Foreign Miniscountry van der Stoel who has ter Max van der Stoel in a been investigating Iraq for eight report to the annual session years concluded that the truth of the UN Human Rights Commust “lie with the allegations mission rather than with the government He agreed with the conclusions of Iraq” of the UN Security Council that One Iraqi official strongly critiSaddam's regime was “a threat to cized the UN report peace and security in the region" ‘Two million people have died Numerous allegations had been of the blockades and because received of human rights abuses economic sanctions and constant said by Saddam's government Van der Stoel who called for an aggressions from the United States and Britain But Mr van end to summary executions disder Stoel ignores all that and the relocaand forced appearances suffering of the people of Iraq" tions said Saad Hussain an advisor to According to reports hundreds of prison executions took place in Iraq's permanent mission in the last months of 1998 as part of Geneva "His report is politically motian Iraqi prison cleansing cam” he said adding that van vated total the number paign bringing Stoel der was using the report to of prisoners said to have been countries other to gang up on executed in one year to 2500 get Some of those reputedly shot Iraa He said Iraq had yet to make its hanged or electrocuted had been official response to the report i AUAA very strong backing” says a senior French banker “There is a consensus both at the political level and within the banking community to let it finish the peared during or after Iraqi's 21-pa- ge includes instructions for using the powerful features 'i Iraq ignores the rights to “life liberty and Iraq ignores the rights to “life GospeLink which ' W ‘M M’f v : kv dr tails SpniNq FasNon I 'I GENEVA — Saddam Hussein’s government in Iraq has practically eliminated all human rights creating a situation that is as bad as any regime since World War II a UN expert said Wednesday experiences and feelings that demonstrate Uie character of a ( quietly remarkable lave remained unused for at least 30 years any solution must involve the French government “The Matteoli commission has Iraq rotten on rights threatens the region ?W ?v posal earlier this year Steinberg used its figures to produce his estimate of $5 billion for the banks’ liability The banks argue that as the contents of accounts must revert |