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To: Fedora

This might be of interest to you- I think these raids on BIF in the Balkans were related to the raids Philip Hsenon & Judith Miller of the NY Times got entangled in.


10 posted on 10/18/2005 9:27:50 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude Adjustments Offered Here Free of Charge)
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To: piasa
Thanks! Regarding the USAID contract mentioned there, a few items I'll add:

First, from the bio of another participant in the EPIC Iraq Forum Wilson where Wilson spoke in 2003:

The 2003 Iraq Forum, June 14, 2003, Washington, DC

George Devendorf is the Director of Emergency Operations for Mercy Corps. Devendorf is responsible for coordinating and supporting disaster preparedness, assessment, and response efforts worldwide. Prior to joining Mercy Corps, Devendorf worked with a variety of relief and refugee organizations, including USAID/OFDA (Kosovo and Macedonia), the International Council of Voluntary Agencies - ICVA (BiH), InterAction (Washington, DC), the International Rescue Committee - IRC (Sudan), UNHCR (Sudan), and the International Organization for Migration - IOM (Philippines). During his career, Devendorf has devoted particular attention to issues surrounding inter-agency coordination and civil-military cooperation in international emergencies.

Also, appearing in a list of international businessmen that includes among numerous others Wilson's Turkish associate Ahmet Okcun:

World Economic Forum: List of Selected Participants

Andrew S. Natsios, Administrator, US Agency for International Development (USAID), USA

Finally, mentioned in an article on Khaled Saffuri:

Saffuri's Ties to Terror Suspects

Iqbal Unus, a director of Safa Group companies "including Child Development Foundation," whose Herndon residence was raided.

Other donors to Saffuri's PAC whose houses or offices were raided by Greenquest, say federal authorities, include Wael al-Khairo, Ahmad al-Shaer, Ahmad Khatib and Ali Abuzakook - all Barzinji employees - as well as Mohammad Salim Attia, Hibba Abugideiri and Hussam Osman, who worked for the Saudi-funded International Institute of Islamic Thought, and Fakri Barzinji, Altogether, say federal authorities, Saffuri raised slightly more than $28,000 for the AMC-sponsored PAC and distributed it to members of Congress including Rohrabacher and Democrats McKinney, David Bonior and John Conyers of Michigan, James Traficant of Ohio, Peter DeFazio of Oregon, and Nick Rahall of West Virginia.

What united all the recipients, who ranged from far-left Democrats to libertarians, was their support for Palestinian causes and their hostility to the state of Israel.

During the entire period that the AMC's PAC operated, from 1993-98, Saffuri was listed as its treasurer. He signed all the papers, say authorities, and made all the reports to the FEC. And yet, Saffuri insists he had nothing to do with the PAC. "If these guys gave checks to Alamoudi [for NMBA], it doesn't mean much," Saffuri says now. "I was an employee of his. He asked me to do it. I did what he asked me to do. In the end, he was paying the check."

Of the 40 donors to the PAC, the documents show, nearly half have been arrested or are under investigation for terrorist ties.

"Look, I work with people who also do wonderful things," Saffuri says when asked about the terrorist ties of NMBA donors. "Look at Abduwahab [al-Kebsi]," Saffuri's assistant at the Islamic Institute. "Abdu is doing a project to promote democracy for the National Endowment for Democracy in Iraq. Another staff member of the institute is working for the Department of Homeland Security. Another staffer is working for USAID [U.S. Agency for International Development]. If there was one shred of evidence that we were a security risk, they would be talking to me, not you. I am invited to meet with [FBI Director Robert] Mueller at the FBI, on average, every six months. I think if there is a problem with me, I wouldn't be at these meetings."

11 posted on 10/18/2005 3:26:05 PM PDT by Fedora
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