San Diego has the second largest Iraqi pop in the US, over
30,000 Large number of Chaldeans and have their own churches. Large number of Kurds and several mosques.
I know some Chaledans and are big supporters of Bush.
Terrorism analyst Steve Emerson, meanwhile, singled out KindHearts in testimony this year before the Senate Banking Committee. He outlined half a dozen connections - some strong, others not - between KindHearts and terror groups or radical Islam.
KindHearts flatly denies any involvement with terror.
Jihad Smaili, a Cleveland attorney who represents KindHearts and sits on its board of directors, dismissed Emerson as a "witch hunter" who falsely connects all Muslim charities to terrorism. Smaili said the charity has taken great care to keep its money out of terrorists' hands.
Yet KindHearts has two clear links to the three shuttered charities. Smaili's brother Khaled, a fund-raiser for one of them, is now chief executive of KindHearts.
And the endowment director of another closed charity, Mohammed El Mezain, worked under contract for KindHearts until he was indicted on charges of conspiracy, aiding a terrorist group and money laundering.
I have been to St. Peter's Chaldean Catholic Church in El Cajon with Chaldean friends.