Senate Candidate Kirk has Links to Terrorism

An Austin Review investigation has revealed that U.S. Senate candidate Ron Kirk is employing an anti-Israel activist who has defended terrorist groups and is friends with American Taliban John Walker Lindh. The Review has also learned that Kirk has received numerous campaign donations from individuals linked with terrorism and anti-Semitism, one of whom also violated U.S. export laws by shipping sensitive technology to Libya and Syria.

Kirk's recently filed campaign report shows payments to a Steven L. Hyland, Jr. of: $1133.22 for "payroll expense" and three separate payments totaling $638.30 for "postage and delivery." Hyland has a long history as an anti-Israel activist and apologist for terrorism.

The Review called Ron Kirk's campaign office and was connected to Hyland, who hung up on us after being asked to comment on his anti-Israeli activism and connection with Walker Lindh. The campaign's media office failed to return our call, so it is not clear what role Hyland is playing in the Kirk campaign, including his role in developing Kirk's Middle East policy.

Hyland, a former UT-Austin student in Middle Eastern Studies, wrote a June 23, 1995 op-ed piece in The Daily Texan attacking the Clinton administration for urging other nations to join a US embargo against Iran. Hyland declared, "The U.S. government labels Hizbollah and Islamic Jihad as terrorist organizations, but they are really freedom fighters defending their rights in Lebanon and Palestine." In another Daily Texan op-ed on July 14, 1995, Hyland stated, "to say a lot of Israeli actions and policies are Nazi-like is appropriate." In an August 24, 1995 Texan piece, he blamed Israel for terror bombings in West Jerusalem in Tel Aviv, which occurred while he was visiting Jordan for unknown reasons. Concerning these bombings, Hyland concluded, "Unfortunately, this tragic event highlights the vicious circle of killing that Israel created."

Two years later-on March 1, 1997-The Daily Texan published a letter-to-the-editor penned by Hyland in which he defended a UT campus protest by the militant Palestine Solidarity Committee. Hyland helped organize the protest, which blockaded the West Mall, obstructing students from passing through to get to their classes. Hyland's letter harangued a Jewish student who had defended Israel's right to exist, stating, "Avital, stop making an ass of yourself."

In May of 1997, Hyland signed an online petition, which described Israel as "a major link in the world network of repressive regimes" and characterized Zionism as a racist ideology. In the summer of 1998, at a time when the U.S. State Department had warned U.S. citizens not to visit Yemen because of anti-American violence (site of the later bombing of the USS Cole and an acknowledged al-Queda stronghold), Hyland felt comfortable traveling there, purportedly only to study and teach Arabic at the Yemen Language Center. There he became a friend and classmate of John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban.

Hyland was interviewed by Associated Press reporter Marge Mason concerning his relationship with Lindh and was quoted in several AP stories. Hyland's comments seem to conflict. In the January 16, 2002 AP story, Hyland was an apologist for Lindh:

"Steven Hyland met Lindh in 1998 while both studied abroad at the Yemen Language Center. Hyland said he's bothered by the severity of the charges Lindh now faces. 'I am concerned for the kid,' Hyland said from his Texas home. 'He was a very naive kid, and now 31/2 years later he is looking at 60 years incarceration.'"

However, despite Hyland's claim that Lindh was naïve, he told the same reporter a day earlier in the January 15 AP report that Lindh was an ideologue. Hyland said of Lindh, "This is an individual whose idealism led to ideology and he lost all ability for pragmatic thought."

In addition to employing Hyland, the Review has learned that Kirk has received numerous donations from leaders of the Dallas/Fort Worth chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) who have links to terrorism.

First, "Ishan Elashyi" (also spelled "Elashi") is identified on campaign donor lists as having given $500.00 to Ron Kirk's campaign for mayor of Dallas on April 24, 1995. In September of last year-just four days before the attacks on the WTC and Pentagon-Elashi's international export privileges were revoked by the Commerce Department, which alleged that he had been illegally shipping computer equipment and technology to Libya and Syria. In February of this year, Elashi was arrested by federal authorities for allegedly continuing these illegal shipments, this time to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan. If convicted on all charges, Ishan Elashi could be sentenced to 60 years in jail and fined $3,000,000 dollars.

"Ghassan Elashi"-Ishan's brother-is identified on papers filed with the Secretary of State's office as one of four principal incorporators of CAIR in Texas. Ghassan has also been identified as a principal of the Richardson-based internet service provider InfoCom Corporation. His brothers Ishan, Bayan, Basman, and Hazim are either principals or employees of InfoCom.

At the same time Ishan Elashi was being arrested for his violations of export restrictions (early September, 2001), InfoCom's offices were being raided and it's assets frozen by the North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force. NTJTTF's asset-freezing order cited a $250,000 investment in the firm made by Nadia Marzook-Ghassan's cousin, and wife of Mousa Abu Marzook.

Abu Marzook is a senior commander of the Islamic terrorist group HAMAS. From his current residence in Syria, Abu Marzook openly advocates and celebrates suicide bombings against Israeli civilians.

Ghassan Elashi has also been identified as a primary incorporator of the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP). His brother Basman has been identified as IAP's President, and IAP was founded by none other than Mousa Abu Marzook. IAP has reproduced and distributed Hamas's charter (which calls for the total destruction of the State of Israel) across the United States, has produced training material for terrorists on how to interrogate suspected "collaborators," and has even sponsored a Hamas-affiliated music troupe whose theme song includes the lyrics "We Buy Paradise with the Blood of the Jews."

Ghassan Elashi is also as a principal of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF). Mousa Abu Marzook found HLF and provided $210,000 in start-up capital. HLF was outlawed and it's assets frozen by President Bush on December 2nd, 2001. At a Rose Garden ceremony the President explained that:

"Hamas has obtained much of the money that it pays for murder abroad right here in the United States, money originally raised by the Holy Land Foundation. The Holy Land Foundation is registered with the IRS as a tax-exempt charity based in Richardson. It raised $13 million from people in America last year. The Holy Land Foundation claims that the money it solicits goes to care for needy Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Money raised by the Holy Land Foundation is used by Hamas to support schools and indoctrinate children to grow up into suicide bombers. Money raised by the Holy Land Foundation is also used by Hamas to recruit suicide bombers and to support their families."

"Majida M. Salem" is listed giving $100.00 to Ron Kirk on April 25, 1995. The address Salem provided in making his donation has been linked by federal authorities to the aforementioned terrorist sugardaddy Ghassan Elashi. Kirk's contributors' connections to Middle East terror go further.

"Mohammed Suleman"-currently a board member of CAIR-DFW-donated $50.00 to Ron Kirk on May 1, 1995. Only eleven days after September 11, federal agents arrested a deported to Jordan an HLF employee named Ghassan Dahduli. Dahduli-a former head of IAP-has acknowledged being friends in the 1980s with Wadi El-Hage, a close associate of Osama bin Laden. Hage was convicted in 1998 and sentenced to life in prison for his role in the U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa. Dahduli's name and phone number were found in Hage's diary-which also made reference to a "joint venture" between himself and HLF. At the time of Dahduli's arrest, Kirk donor and CAIR-DFW board member Mohammed Suleman expressed concern and support for Dahduli, and argued against his deportation.

"Ghulam Warriach"-a current and longtime CAIR-DFW board member-hosted a dinner in honor of Ron Kirk in August of 1995. This event occurred under the auspices of the Dallas Muslim Council, of which Warriach was both founder and President. The omnipresent Ghassan Elashi-incorporator of InfoCom, the Islamic Association for Palestine, the Holy Land Foundation, and CAIR in Texas-is also the Executive Director of the Dallas Muslim Council.

Also honored at the same dinner as Kirk was then Democrat Congressman John Bryant who, after returning to private practice, would go on to become a lobbyist for HLF. Bryant has frequently expressed hostility to conservative-Likud administrations in Israel, and vocally advocated withholding loan guarantees to resettle Russian Jews as a way to pressure Israel to abandon Jewish communities located in the so-called occupied territories.

While CAIR purports to "present accurate information about Islam and Muslims to the general public through communication with elected officials, media personnel, corporate employers, government agencies, schools and universities, religious organizations, and civic groups," the true activities of the group are hardly so innocuous. CAIR has vociferously opposed the Bush administration's freezing of assets held by U.S. Islamic charities that are fronts for terrorist organizations. They have also spoken out against the voluntary interviews of Arabs suspected of having knowledge concerning terrorist activities conducted by Attorney General John Ashcroft's office.

In October 1998, CAIR demanded the removal of a Los Angeles billboard describing Osama bin Laden as "the sworn enemy," finding this depiction "offensive to Muslims." That same year, CAIR denied bin Laden's responsibility for the twin East African embassy bombings. As CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper saw it, those explosions resulted from some vague "misunderstandings of both sides." A New York court, however, blamed bin Laden's side alone for the embassy blasts.

Following September 11, CAIR denied bin Laden's culpability for the World Trade Center and Pentagon massacres, saying only that "if [note the "if"] Osama bin Laden was behind it, we condemn him by name." Only in December did CAIR grudgingly acknowledge his role. CAIR has a long record of defending militant Islamic terrorists. It labeled the conviction of the perpetrators of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing "a travesty of justice." Similarly, it called the conviction of Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind sheikh who planned to blow up New York City landmarks, "hate crime." CAIR termed the extradition order for suspected Hamas terrorist Mousa Abu Marook "anti-Islamic" and "anti-American."

CAIR also backs those who finance terrorism. When President Bush closed the Holy Land Foundation in December for collecting money he said was "used to support the Hamas terror organization," CAIR decried his action as "unjust" and "disturbing."

CAIR even includes at least one person associated with terrorism in its own ranks. On Feb. 2, 1995, U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White named Siraj Wahhaj as one of the "unindicted persons who may be alleged as co-conspirators" in the attempt to blow up New York City monuments. Yet CAIR deems him "one of the most respected Muslim leaders in America" and includes him on its advisory board.

In light of this and other evidence, the FBI's former chief of counterterrorism, Steven Pomerantz, concludes, "CAIR, its leaders and its activities effectively give aid to international terrorist groups." However, embracing terrorism is not the only black mark on CAIR's record.

CAIR has defamed moderate Muslims such as Hisham Kabbani and Khalid Durán who reject its extremist agenda, leading to death threats against them.

CAIR also defended a murderer when it responded to the arrest and conviction of Jamil Al-Amin (the former H. Rap Brown) by praising him, raising funds for him and then denying his guilt after his conviction for the murder of an Atlanta policeman. Similarly, CAIR declared Ahmad Adnan Chaudhry of San Bernardino, Calif., who was convicted of attempted murder, "innocent" and set up a defense fund for him. It seems no Arab can be guilty of a crime in CAIR's slanted view of the world.

Not surprisingly, CAIR traffics in anti-Semitism. The head of CAIR's Los Angeles office, Hussam Ayloush, routinely uses the term "zionazi" when referring to Israelis. CAIR co-hosted an event in May 1998 at which an Egyptian militant Islamic leader, Wagdi Ghunaym, called Jews the "descendants of the apes."

CAIR isn't exactly peachy about Christians either. As reported by the San Ramon Valley Herald, CAIR Chairman Omar M. Ahmad told a crowd of California Muslims in July 1998, "Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Koran . . . should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on earth."

One of the "accomplishments" listed on the website of the Dallas/Fort-Worth chapter of CAIR is the claim that they have "developed" a "relationship" with Ron Kirk. The question Texans must answer is whether they want Kirk to bring this relationship, and perhaps Steven Hyland, to the U.S. Senate.

"Typical media slant. There is a hint of him being a dummocrap waaaaay down in paragraph 21. If he was a Republican, it would have been in bold in the first sentence."

LOL! You're way, way off base on this one, but it's not your fault—with most other news sources you'd be dead on. The Austin Review, however, is a local free hard-right political weekly. It doesn't mention Kirk's party affiliation because AR's readership is exclusively politically active Texans, to whom Kirk is a household name.

"Let's discuss this further."

Okay, let's. Exactly which facts in the article are you challenging? And exactly what interests are you imputing to the writer, whose name you've taken care to mention twice? Let's have specifics, please; don't waste our time with code-words and innuendo.

I am not sure what sort of "code" you are reading into my posts.However I would refer you to my original post as to the "facts"(since there was no proof)in the article that I questioned. As to the interests of the writer,obviously his interests are to sully the candidates reputation without showing any legitimate proof of his charges.As to Marc Levin's motive,I can only offer conjecture,only G-d knows for sure(and,of course,Marc Levin himself).

Here is my original post:

Senate Candidate Kirk has Links to Terrorism By MARC LEVIN My first question as a free-thinking American is,why isn't this man in jail under the anti-terrorism laws IF he does,in fact have links to terrorism?Could the OBVIOUS answer be that this is a tremendous amount of smoke and dirty political games?Does the writer,Marc Levin,have any interest in seeing the candidate defeated?Let's discuss this further.

Well if SAINT HILLARY, (oops) senator hildebeast can embrace the devil's spawn and accept their dubious contributions then it must be okay for all DEMONRATS.

During the early 80s I worked in downtown Dallas, was a member of the YMCA, and played racquetball with Ron Kirk. He seemed nice enough but who knows what evil lurks in the hearts and minds of men?

This is my first contribution and am hoping that it isn't a repost. I did a search and came up with an article concerning this candidate and it showed his numbers way up in the polls.

Thanks for the post. I'm interested in your comment about Kirk being way up in the polls. I've seen four polls on this race - Kirk leads in two and Cornyn leads in two. This one is close right now, unfortunately.

I'm going to search for the article you mentioned, but please let me and others know where it's located. Cheers

why isn't this man in jail under the anti-terrorism laws IF he does,in fact have links to terrorism

What's with you man? Can't stand a little "Diversity"? (sarcasm)

Seriously, what is it with you? You got half the liberals in the country running around feverishly trying to get the ones we've got incarcerated OUT!

IMO, we don't have enough jail cells in this country to HOLD all those with Islamist links. Have you seen American Jihad?

"However I would refer you to my original post as to the 'facts'(since there was no proof)in the article that I questioned."

So you're asserting that the campaign financing records the author cites are fabricated or misquoted. That's a pretty serious charge to throw down on no evidence—what is it about the author that makes you immediately leap to the conclusion that he's lying? In any case, those records are public information, so if that is the case I'm confident Kirk's friends in the media will expose the lie in short order.

"My first question as a free-thinking American is,why isn't this man in jail under the anti-terrorism laws IF he does,in fact have links to terrorism?"

Hitlery got donations from groups which financially support terrorism....why isn't SHE in jail? Trust me, it AIN'T because she claims to be Jewish. It's because she's a democrat, and she feels the pain of the poor Muslim underdogs...just like Kirk.

Great job! This is why Free Republic is so important. When people like you find data like this and post it as thread, we all learn. Welcome and hope you will support Free Republic with more good threads and as a regular $ donor!

Bump for the others. More on Jihad in America and how it relates right to a Rat running to be a Rat Senator.

Someone needs to review Kirk's contributors and see how many of McKinley's Islamic out of state donors contributed to Kirk's fund, too. I bet there are a lot of the same Islamic names that will pop up!

Hey AFVetGal, when you aren't busy cluster bombing for the current Freeper Thon, you might want to post the list of Islamic donors to Rat McKinney's re election fund on this thread for the Texas freepers to make some comparisons.

If Kirk is an Islamic terrorist poster boy candidate, his donors will probably be many of the same out of state Islamic donors as McKinney has/had. Thanks!

"Could the OBVIOUS answer be that this is a tremendous amount of smoke and dirty political games?Does the writer,Marc Levin,have any interest in seeing the candidate defeated?Let's discuss this further."

Could the OBVIOUS answer be that Levin, known for thoroughness and honest, is telling the TRUTH, and that the Democratic political machine is keeping Kirks terrorist leanings quiet?

Do a Google search on Jirk...and you find non other than the totally non-biased Washington Post DROOLING slavishly all over him.....

Do a Google search on Cornyn...and the totally non-biased Washington Post seems to have forgotten he exists.

If the Washington Post is drooling all over a Democrat from Texas - not exactly near Washington - then he's a powerful enouggh part of the DNC political machine for them to buy national propaganda.

In other words, he's a bad apple.

I think your problem with this little expose is the author's last name : Levin.

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