Free Republic

Palestinian billionaire detained in Saudi Arabia in sweeping corruption probe Family says Sabih al-Masri was held while visiting Riyadh last week in order to 'answer questions about his business and partners' Palestinian billionaire businessman Sabih al-Masri was reportedly detained in Saudi Arabia for questioning last week during a business trip to Riyadh, amidst a sweeping anti-corruption purge of the Saudi elite. Masri, who is the founder of Zara Investment Holding and chairman of Jordan’s largest lender, Arab Bank, was held in the Saudi capital over “information related to corruption,” according to Arabic-language news reports. Friends and family sources confirmed Masri’s...

NEW YORK (AP) — American victims of suicide bombings in the Middle East have gone to federal court to demand that a Jordan-based bank be held liable for the bloodshed. A trial in the lawsuit against Arab Bank is set to begin with opening arguments on Thursday in Brooklyn. Lawyers for the victims hope to convince a jury that the bank helped Hamas finance a "death and dismemberment benefit plan" for martyrs. The case will unfold after a lengthy legal battle over what evidence jurors will see and amid a backdrop of renewed hostilities between Israelis and Palestinians. The plaintiffs...

Ten years in the making, a landmark terrorism-related case is set to go to trial this week in New York. It has unearthed shocking documentation of the formalized network in which Mideast charities solicited funds to reward the families of Hamas suicide bombers. Interest in the lawsuit is heightened given the current violent outbreak between Israel and the Palestinians. The plaintiffs are 300 U.S. nationals who were victims in 24 terrorist attacks between 2000 and 2005 while in Israel. Many were vacationing. They were caught in the crossfire during the “second intifada,” or Palestinian uprising.

Last update - 16:23 03/09/2005 U.S. judge allows terror lawsuits against Arab Bank to proceed By The Associated Press NEW YORK - A U.S. judge upheld three lawsuits Friday accusing the Jordan-based Arab Bank of promoting Palestinian suicide attacks by funneling Saudi money to bombers' families. U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon denied six of eight counts in Arab Bank's March motion to dismiss the litigation, allowing bombing survivors and victims' families to move forward with their lawsuits seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. The lawsuits claim that Arab Bank aided terrorism by acting as the administrator of an...

Secret documents known as "martyrs' kits" obtained by The Post provide a startling glimpse into the world of suicide bombers, who are recruited with promises that their families will be well taken care of financially. These kits ensure that the families of Hamas, PLO and Palestinian Islamic Jihad killers get generous "charitable donations" from Saudi Arabia-based organizations and, while he was in power, Saddam Hussein. The documents reviewed by The Post include a martyr kit for Maher Kamel Hbeishe, a Hamas fanatic who blew himself up on a Haifa bus Dec. 2, 2001, killing 15 Israelis and wounding 40. Much...

When a House Financial Services subcommittee last week took up the issue of Islamic charities and terror financing, what wasn’t seen is far more interesting—and important—than what was. The story of how what had promised to be an explosive session was gutted is a tale of international lobbying, partisan protection, and misplaced animosity. And of course, it wouldn’t be genuine intrigue without loads of Saudi cash. Rep. Sue Kelly (R-NY), chairwoman of the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee, had originally scheduled a hearing for last month that was to include administration officials, experts who were prepared to provide evidence of financing...

ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 2126, Garden Grove, CA 92842-2126 USA E-mail: assistcomm@cs.com, Web Site: www.assist-ministries.comMonday, July 1, 2002 P.A. FINANCE MINISTER FORMER EMPLOYEE OF BANK ALLEGEDLY RECEIVING HAMAS FUNDSSources Say It's Unlikely He Ever Knew By Jeremy ReynaldsSpecial Correspondent for ASSIST News Service ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (ANS) -- A web site which includes an appeal for donations by the outlawed Hamas organization to buy guns and bullets, www.qassam.net/tabaro3.htm continues to remain on line. The site was electronically traced as being hosted by servers in Houston, TX., belonging to Everyone's Internet. Jeff Lowenberg, vice- president of operations for...