Italian police raid Youssef Nada’s villa in Lugano, Italy. [Source: Keystone]- After years of knowing these banks were funneling money to the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist groups, it was shut down. However, financial entities operated by the same directors, continue to operate freely.December 4, 2001:
Holy Land Foundation Shut Down -
The Holy Land Foundation is shut down and its assets are seized. Holy Land claimed to be the largest Muslim charity in the US. It claimed to raise millions for Palestinian refugees and denied any support for terrorism.
In justifying the move, the US government presents evidence of ties between the Holy Land and Hamas. Much of this evidence dates back to 1993; the Associated Press titles a story on the closure, “Money Freeze A Long Time Coming.” [Associated Press, 12/5/2001]
Holy Land offices in San Diego, California; Paterson, New Jersey; and Bridgeview, Illinois, are also raided. [CNN, 12/4/2001] The indictment says Holy Land has been “deeply involved with a network of MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD ORGANIZATIONS dedicated to furthering the Islamic fundamentalist agenda espoused by Hamas.” [Washington Post, 9/11/2004]
Holy Land is represented by the powerful law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. THREE PARTNERS AT AKIN, GUMP ARE VERY CLOSE TO PRESIDENT BUSH:
George Salem chaired Bush’s 2000 campaign outreach to Arab-Americans; BARNETT “Sandy” KRESS was appointed by Bush as an “unpaid consultant” on education reform and has an office in the White House; and JAMES LANGDON is one of Bush’s closest Texas friends. [Boston Herald, 12/11/2001; Washington Post, 12/17/2001]
The leaders of Holy Land will be charged with a variety of crimes in 2002 and 2004 (see December 18, 2002-April 2005).