The Center for Security Policy has released a report which claims that the nation's biggest public pension funds have nearly $200 billion invested in stock of companies that conduct business in countries that support terrorism. The investments are not illegal, but the Center urges a divestiture campaign, believing the investments enable terrorism by supporting countries who in turn provide funds to terrorist organizations. Pension officials are divided on the issue. The Securities and Exchange Commission officials have opened an office of global security risk to raise investor awareness of the issue, but there is no watch list of specific companies that should be avoided.
See "Pension Funds' Investments Linked to Terror", T. Christian Miller and Debora Vrana, Los Angeles Times, August 12, 2004