CAIR Named As Terrorist Supporter
Federal prosecutors have named the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as an unindicted co-conspirator in support of the terrorist group Hamas. CAIR joins Islamic Society of North America and The North American Islamic Trust as accused terror-supporting organizations in the case against The Holy Land Foundation's officers, as well as 300 other individuals and entities:
Federal prosecutors have named three prominent Islamic organizations in America as participants in an alleged criminal conspiracy to support a Palestinian Arab terrorist group, Hamas.Prosecutors applied the label of "unindicted co-conspirator" to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Islamic Society of North America, and the North American Islamic Trust in connection with a trial planned in Texas next month for five officials of a defunct charity, the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development.
While the foundation was charged in the case, which was filed in 2004, none of the other groups was. However, the co-conspirator designation could be a blow to the credibility of the national Islamic organizations, which often work hand-in-hand with government officials engaged in outreach to the Muslim community. ...
The inclusion of the Islamic groups on the list of alleged conspirators could give ammunition to critics of the organizations. CAIR, in particular, has faced persistent claims that it is soft on terrorism. Critics note that several former CAIR officials have been convicted or deported after being charged with fraud, embargo violations, or aiding terrorist training. Spokesmen for the group have also raised eyebrows for offering generic denunciations of terrorism but refusing to condemn by name specific Islamic terrorist groups such as Hamas or Hezbollah.
In addition, one of the Holy Land Foundation defendants, Ghassan Elashi, founded CAIR's Texas chapter. CAIR's Washington office was also set up in 1994 with $5,000 in seed money from the foundation, according to congressional testimony by a researcher into Islamic extremism, Steven Emerson.
That identification will make some politicians nervous, but none more so than Keith Ellison of Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District. Ellison received their endorsement, after which he flew to Florida in order to speak to the group -- while CAIR barred the press from covering the event. He didn't bother explaining himself to Minnesota voters about his ties to the group during the election, but then again, he had plenty of assistance from the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the New York Times in pushing back against his critics.
Their inclusion as a conspirator in the effort to fund Hamas should come as no surprise to people who have followed this story since 9/11. CAIR originally showed its support for Americans in 9/11 by encouraging donations to relief efforts -- and then sending people to the Holy Land Foundation -- the same group that is at the center of this prosecution -- for those donations. When they got caught, they changed the link to the Global Relief Foundation, which also got shut down by the feds for supporting terrorist groups.
The Holy Land Foundation has deep ties to CAIR. Its founder, Mousa Abu Marzook, also founded CAIR's parent organization, the Islamic Association for Palestine. Ghassan Elashi, HLF's chairman at the time of its closure, founded the Texas chapter of CAIR. Rabih Haddad co-founded the Global Relief Foundation -- and raised funds for CAIR. CAIR had direct links to both banned foundations, and at its most senior levels.
It's about time that CAIR got outed, and in a manner which shows the editorial boards of papers like the NY Times and the Strib as the saps and suckers they are. It's also time for Keith Ellison to explain his ties to CAIR and to either repudiate them or to resign his office.
Posted by Ed Morrissey on June 4, 2007 6:33 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (2)
Comments (13)
Posted by stackja1945![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/nav-commenters.gif)
| June 4, 2007 7:10 AM
Since when have "editorial boards of papers like the NY Times and the Strib " not been taken as saps and suckers?
Posted by negentropy | June 4, 2007 7:27 AM
Let the seething and whiningTM begin!
Posted by TomB | June 4, 2007 7:41 AM
We have to remember what are the three top loyalities of a loyal Muslim:
1. Islam;
2. Islam;
3. Islam;
And we are just Infidels (and suckers at that).
Posted by onlineanalyst | June 4, 2007 8:18 AM
This is most welcome news!
Posted by Lightwave | June 4, 2007 9:26 AM
Resign? Shouldn't a Congressman with ties to CAIR in a post-9/11 world be investigated as thoroughly as the fishing expeditions on Alberto Gonzales?
When the "hint of impropriety" comes from a Republican, the Dems are all over it. This Congressman may have done something wrong in a convoluted way that demands hearing after hearing! But when one of the Dems has direct ties to an Islamist terrorist front group operating in the US nothing happens.
Can we call them traitors NOW, Ed?
Posted by patrick neid | June 4, 2007 9:48 AM
i'm amazed, given today's pc world, that federal prosecutors had the balls to name these groups--unindicted co-conspirators. i would not be surprised if we find years later under a different administration that these individual prosecutors find their careers over or at least blocked.
radical islam, with saudi funding, has its tentacles in all things legal in this country. they will not forget these individuals. i tip my hat to them.
Posted by Michael Johnson | June 4, 2007 10:04 AM
This is GREAT news, however, in trying to find any other reportage on this breaking development (including Google) shows abstolutely nothing.
Could you please inform us (not that I doubt the veracity) of where you learned of this?
Thanks!!
Posted by Rich | June 4, 2007 11:06 AM
Ed, I'm so glad that my congressman, Joe Sestak PA-7, gave the keynote address for the Philly chapter of Cair. Innocent misunderstanding, I'm sure. In case you couldn't guess, he's a D. Replaced Curt Weldon.
Posted by NahnCee | June 4, 2007 11:21 AM
Too bad CAIR hadn't managed to ram that hate speech legislation through yet. They could have sued the Federal government for impugning their good name by indicting them. You just KNOW there is a lawsuit coming from CAIR any way don't you?
Posted by MNHawk | June 4, 2007 4:48 PM
Why just Keith Ellison? Didn't the entire Minnesota DFL contingent just vote the interests of these groups over their very own constituents, the plane passengers being sued?
Posted by Geistmaus | June 4, 2007 5:19 PM
The money quote: Prosecutors applied the label of "unindicted co-conspirator"
This is just legal gamesmanship to allow them to use hearsay in court. Color me unsurprised and unimpressed with the ethics or usefulness of the DoJ.
I'll save the fine wine, party hats, and my breath for when they correct that "unindicted" problem.
Posted by Steve Skubinna | June 4, 2007 6:24 PM
This isn't "about time," it's long overdue. On 9/12, CAIR should have been under investigation, along with every other US mosque and organization with ties to the Wahhabis. Here we are, five years into the Long War, and we're only now noticing the modern day German-American Bund in our midst. And the Islamists are far less subtle than the Nazis were.
Thanks for the moral paralysis, multi-culti morons. No, I am not questioning their patriotism. To me, there's no question at all.
Posted by Gary Gross | June 4, 2007 10:30 PM
I just posted something on the naming of CAIR, NAIT & ISNA as unindicted co-conspirators to the HLF trial.
Trust me when I say that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The naming of these organizations will have major ramifications in Washington. Read my article for the full scope this will have.