Topic: Hawala

A report explains the "Hawala" system, an ancient and opaque money transfer network used in the Muslim world and India to move funds without physical cash. ISIS reportedly utilizes this illegal but widespread system to bypass international banking regulations and dodge taxes. The hosts speculate that governments may eventually target Bitcoin and blockchain technology by associating them with terrorist financing.

The Hawala system, an informal method of transferring money based on trust and local brokers rather than electronic banking, is explained. Used extensively in the Middle East and Africa, it allows for rapid, untraceable transfers that bypass government scrutiny. The hosts jokingly compare the No Agenda donation model to a Hawala system using coded language.

U.S. officials and Congressional hearings shift focus from a weakened Al-Qaeda to the Somali group Al-Shabaab. Two women in Rochester, Minnesota, were indicted for sending $8,600 to the group via the "Hawala" money transfer system, while 20 Somali men from Minneapolis are under investigation for traveling to join the conflict.