U.S. TAX EXEMPT DOLLARS FUNDING IRAQ-BOUND "HUMAN SHIELDS"

self | Friday, January 24, 2003 | Kristinn

[kristinn]

Ken Nichols O'Keefe, the man who is organizing the anti-American "Human Shield" convoy from London to Baghdad is funding this action with tax exempt dollars from U.S. taxpayers who donate to his London-based group, the Universal Kinship Society(UKS.)

O'Keefe states on the website for UKS, "Donations for this non-profit organization are needed and greatly appreciated. For now the Universal Kinship Society has 501 C3 Tax Exempt status (I repeat, for now!). So U.S. citizens can take some of the blood money going to taxes and give it to the UK Society instead, or anybody but the U.S. Government please. More bombs, or more truth, it is literally up to you.

"Donations will be used for costs related to the production and maintenance of this website and "The United States of Hypocrisy II."

However, in a call for Human Shields on Sweden IndyMedia December 18, 2002, O'Keefe states that donations to UKS will be used to fund his Human Shield project, "For those who wish to support this mission but not able to join us than you can support this effort by helping to fund the expenses of conducting this journey. Specifically if you are willing to provide money or vehicles for this trip you are urged to contact the Universal Kinship Society and this writer immediately. For American citizens, you can reduce your Federal Income Tax payment (and support for the world’s largest military budget) by supplying the non-profit tax exempt Universal Kinship Society for its organizational role in this mission. Or you can anonymously support this cause if you wish to protect your privacy."

As American men and women prepare to go to war with Iraq if ordered by their Commander-in-Chief, their efforts will be undermined and their lives may be put at risk by traitors who will get a tax deduction for giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

[kristinn]

Beam me up, Mr. Speaker!

[Madame Dufarge]

How awful for Mr. O'Keefe.

If he thinks the U. S. Military is scary, wait until the IRS gets its talons in him.

[kayak]

This is outrageous!

[dighton]

Too much, seeing as how O'Keefe has renounced his U.S. citizenship.

[laurav]

I agree that this man's charity is reprehensible... but I'm willing to defend the rather loose rules on 501(c)(3) groups. You try to put too many limits on it and next thing you know we'll have another Clinton in power, and gun groups, pro-life groups, etc may be denied tax exempt status.

[Polybius]

As American men and women prepare to go to war with Iraq if ordered by their Commander-in-Chief, their efforts will be undermined and their lives may be put at risk by traitors ...

I don't believe a single American servicemember's life will be put at risk. We will bomb whatever targets would have been bombed without any consideration as to whether these idiots are acting as human shields or not.

The only lives these fools are risking are their own.

[Steve Eisenberg]

Disgusting.

There are many other examples of the stupidity of these tax exemptions. For example, did you know that you can get a tax exemption for feeding a foreign army?

Pizza IDF

Of course, there is nothing wrong with sending take-out to Israeli soldiers, but it is insane to force all American taxpayers to contribute.

[StriperSniper]

I'm willing to defend the rather loose rules

Yes but this is a clear case of support for a declared enemy. They are actively trying to subvert our millitary. You don't give tax breaks to those paying your enemy's 'body guards'.

[mrustow]

Thanks for the research, k!

[Steve Eisenberg]

I don't believe a single American servicemember's life will be put at risk.

In real life, the bad publicity which would come from our killing large numbers of human shields will probably be a factor in targeting. Even if we don't change any targets because of these Salinist wannabes shielding Saddam torture chambers, valuable time will have been wasted in considering them, time that could have been used, for example, triple-checking against friendly fire mistakes. What they are doing is pure treason.

[antaresequity]

Darwin awards by the bushell...few will miss them...

[kristinn]

Just doin' the media's job for them....

[kristinn]

I'm not a tax attorney, but as an American citizen I find this use of tax exempt status to be wrong and abusive.

[Doctor Raoul]

Quick, call Dan Rather
He'll run with this...

[kristinn]

Right, I'll call Peter Jennings...

[Humidston]

My first reaction was rage...

Then I got to thinking how intriguing it would be to see that all those freaks might be obliterated.

...Tough call.

[kayak]

O'Reilly would be a good one to contact with this info.

[Humidston]

You're right Kayak... O'Reilly is already steamed about his income tax rate. This could put him over the top, LOL!

[kristinn]

I would think any non-leftist reporter would like this story. FR got it first, though, so we'll see who has the guts to credit us with the scoop.

[kristinn]

Well, they are putting themselves in harm's way....I wonder if I could get a deduction if I donated a coffin to UKS?