Posted on 07/25/2007 11:13:15 AM PDT by Nachum
(IsraelNN.com) Legal action is being taken against two Muslim charities in the United States due to their support of the Hamas and Hizbullah terrorist groups.
On Tuesday, the US Treasury began legal action against the Iran-based Martyrs Foundation and what it says is a front-group for it – the Goodwill Charitable Organization (GCO), which has a US branch in Dearborn, Michigan. The organization is accused of providing funding to Hizbullah. Action was also initiated against al-Qard al-Hassan, a Lebanese firm believed to have been used by Hizbullah as a front for managing its finances. The administrative order also includes a warrant for the arrest of two Lebanese men who acted as go-betweens from the charitable foundations to Hizbullah.
The legal action translates into the freezing of all assets and accounts of the foundations and individuals, as well as a ban on doing business with any of the entities for any US citizens.
"We will not allow organizations that support terrorism to raise money in the United States," Stuart Levey, the Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, told reporters.
Treasury investigators found that potential donors were instructed by US-based Hizbullah terrorists to send contributions to the GCO, which would pass the money to the Martyrs Foundation in Lebanon.
In addition to Hizbullah, the Martyrs Foundation channels funds to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Islamist terror groups.
Another Islamist organization, the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, is on trial after a decade-long FBI investigation into the group’s funding of Hamas.
"The charity's leaders lied about their purpose because to tell the truth is to reveal what they were all about - the destruction of the State of Israel and replacing it with a Palestinian Islamic state," Prosecutor James T. Jacks said in his opening statement Tuesday.
The fund channeled money and support to families of suicide bombers, according to the prosecution. Federal agents raided the group’s US offices in December, 2001.
The fund’s lawyers claim it supported humanitarian efforts in PA-controlled areas and did not know it was aiding Hamas. Five of the fund’s top officials are being accused of funneling $36 million to individuals and groups tied to Hamas.
The New York Times fell down on the job of warning the “charities” prior to the government acting . . .
Treasury Takes Aim at Hizballah’s Support Network
Mon, 23 Jul 2007 23:00:00 -0500
July 24, 2007
2007-7-24-10-29-46-13432
Twin Treasury Actions Take Aim at Hizballah’s Support Network
The U.S. Department of the Treasury today targeted Hizballah’s support network by designating the Iran-based Martyrs Foundation, including its U.S. branch, and the finance firm Al-Qard al-Hassan (AQAH) under Executive Order 13224. Two individuals were also designated today for the role they play in Hizballah’s support network.
“We will continue to target those who form the financial backbone of Hizballah, Hamas, PIJ and other terrorist groups that are attempting to destabilize Lebanon and target innocent civilians,” said Stuart Levey, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. “We will not allow organizations that support terrorism to raise money in the United States or to evade our measures and continue to operate simply by changing their names.”
The Martyrs Foundation
The Martyrs Foundation is an Iranian parastatal organization that channels financial support from Iran to several terrorist organizations in the Levant, including Hizballah, Hamas, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). To this end, the Martyrs Foundation established branches in Lebanon staffed by leaders and members of these same terrorist groups. Martyrs Foundation branches in Lebanon has also provided financial support to the families of killed or imprisoned Hizballah and PIJ members, including suicide bombers in the Palestinian territories.
In addition to fundraising responsibilities, senior Martyrs Foundation officials were directly involved in Hizballah operations against Israel during the July-August 2006 conflict. In addition, a Lebanon-based leader of the Martyrs Foundation has directed and financed terrorist cells in the Gaza Strip that worked with Hizballah and PIJ.
Today’s designation includes the Goodwill Charitable Organization (GCO), a fundraising office established by the Martyrs Foundation in Dearborn, Michigan. GCO is a Hizballah front organization that reports directly to the leadership of the Martyrs Foundation in Lebanon. Hizballah recruited GCO leaders and has maintained close contact with GCO representatives in the United States.
GCO has provided financial support to Hizballah directly and through the Martyrs Foundation in Lebanon. Hizballah’s leaders in Lebanon have instructed Hizballah members in the United States to send their contributions to GCO and to contact the GCO for the purpose of contributing to the Martyrs Foundation. Since its founding, GCO has sent a significant amount of money to the Martyrs Foundation in Lebanon.
Al-Qard al-Hassan
Hizballah has used AQAH as a cover to manage its financial activity. AQAH is run by Husayn al-Shami, a senior Hizballah leader who has served as a member of Hizballah’s Shura Council and as head of several Hizballah-controlled organizations.
Following the September 7, 2006 designation of al-Shami, along with Bayt al-Mal and Yousser Company for Finance and Investment, AQAH assumed a more prominent role in Hizballah’s financial infrastructure. As of February 2007, bank accounts of Bayt al-Mal and Yousser Company were changed and re-registered in the name of senior employees of AQAH.
Further, after the majority of Bayt al-Mal’s offices were destroyed during the summer 2006 conflict, Hizballah transferred a portion of its financial activity to AQAH, giving Hizballah access to the international banking system.
Individuals
Treasury’s action today also targets Qasem Aliq, a Hizballah official who was previously the director for the Martyrs Foundation branch in Lebanon. In addition to overseeing Martyrs Foundation’s operation, Aliq worked closely with senior Hizballah officials. Aliq currently serves as the director of Jihad al-Bina, a Lebanon-based construction company formed and operated by Hizballah and previously designated by the Treasury.
Also designated today was Ahmad al-Shami, who has worked for the Martyrs Foundation in Lebanon and has been in frequent contact with GCO. Money raised by GCO was sent to al-Shami in Lebanon to be distributed to the Martyrs Foundation. Hizballah leadership placed Ahmad al-Shami in his position at the Martyrs Foundation in Lebanon.
Today’s action is being taken pursuant to Executive Order 13224, which is aimed at financially isolating terrorists and their support networks. Designations under E.O. 13224 freeze any assets the designees may have under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit transactions by U.S. persons with the designees.
Just the tip of the iceberg....Why have they waited so long?..P.C. rears its ugly head as usual.
For when CAIR shows up to defend these charming "Sister Theresas"...
I always stop off at the grocery store and buy them fellers some pre-cooked bacon. They seem to enjoy having it dropped in their bucket soooo much!
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