Posted on 10/23/2003 7:41:08 AM PDT by aculeus
What do the Clinton State Department, Republican activist Grover Norquist, Bush FBI director William Mueller, Senator Joseph Lieberman, the Washington Post, and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops have in common?
They all fell, in one way or another, for Abdurahman Alamoudi, a Muslim-American leader who turns out, according to a federal indictment, to have been in league with the terrorists. Call him the fifth-columnist who duped the Beltway establishment.
Alamoudi was an invited guest at a 1998 State Department religious freedom event. He gave $10,000 in 1999 to an Islamic free-market institute on whose board Norquist sat. Mueller spoke last year at a conference of the Muslim group Alamoudi founded. Sen. Lieberman hosted an Islamic holiday celebration for Alamoudi on Capitol Hill in 1996. The Washington Post has quoted Alamoudi defending the civil rights of Muslim Americans against attack from Congress. And when Alamoudi's American Muslim Council came under attack for its public expressions of sympathy for terrorists, the Catholic bishops rushed to Alamoudi's defense, signing a statement praising what it described as the American Muslim Council's "consistent opposition to the use of terrorism" and denouncing criticism of the group as "Muslim bashing." The statement from the bishops called Alamoudi's AMC "the premier, mainstream Muslim group in Washington."
All of this looks more than a little embarrassing in light of the 29-page government affidavit in support of a criminal complaint filed September 30 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in the case of United States of America v. Abdurahman Muhammad Alamoudi. In the affidavit, a special agent of the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Brett Gentrup, tells of British customs officials stopping Alamoudi at Heathrow airport in London, where they discovered $340,000 in cash -- sequentially numbered $100 bills.
Gentrup says told Scotland Yard he'd received the money from what the affidavit describes as a "jihad fund" set up by the Libyan dictator, Muammar Qaddafi. Alamoudi repeatedly traveled to Libya on a Yemeni passport and made phone calls to officials at the Libyan U.N. mission in New York, the affidavit says. A letter on Alamoudi's computer to an official at the Libyan U.N. Mission asked for $7,000 in reimbursements for trips Alamoudi made to meet with Libyan officials in Tripoli and London. Bank records and IRS records show the Libyan government gave an additional $7,000 to another Muslim group controlled by Alamoudi, the American Muslim Foundation, in violation of the American economic sanctions on Libya imposed because of its support for terrorism.
As if the financial ties to the Libyans don't sound bad enough for Alamoudi, Gentrup testified in court about a wiretapped conversation in which Alamoudi praised the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in which 86 people were killed. "The Jewish Community Center. It is a worthy operation," Alamoudi told an unidentified man, according to the English translation of a conversation, which was read by Gentrup. "I think that the attacks that are being executed by [Osama] Bin Laden and other Islamic groups are wrong, especially hitting the civilian targets," he allegedly said, referring to the bombing of the American embassy in Kenya. "Many African Muslims have died and not a single American died. I prefer to hit a Zionist target in America or Europe."
He then held up the 1994 attack as a standard. "I prefer honestly like what happened in Argentina," Alamoudi said, according to the wiretap.
Stunning stuff. But it's gone widely unnoticed. With the exception of the New York Sun, American newspapers have tended to bury the story of Abdurahman Alamoudi. And some of the characters you might expect to be red-facedly apologizing in light of the recent disclosures aren't exactly rushing to acknowledge they were duped.
The usually press-accessible Mr. Norquist, for instance, didn't return a phone call seeking comment. Likewise, the president of the Arab American Institute, James Zogby, who back in 1999 defended Alamoudi as the victim of "a shameful hysteria campaign of McCarthyism," now doesn't have time to discuss the Alamoudi case, a spokeswoman said. As for the Catholic bishops, one of its interfaith-dialogue officials who in 1996 circulated a memo defending Alamoudi, Eugene Fisher, now says, "I don't know anything about it. I can't really comment." He referred calls to a colleague, John Borelli, who wrote in a 1996 memo about his "friendship" and "regular contact" with Alamoudi. That friendship resulted in William Cardinal Keeler of Baltimore accepting from Alamoudi the "Mahmoud Abu-Saud Award for Excellence" at a banquet hosted by the American Muslim Council in December 1995. Borelli didn't return a call for comment.
At least that's better than several hard-core Muslim groups that are still making excuses for Alamoudi. The Muslim Public Affairs Council, for instance, issued a statement saying it was "disturbed by the arrest," leaving unclear whether it was disturbed by what Alamoudi had done or by the fact that the government had acted against him. The statement also claimed arrest "was not connected to charges of terrorism," seeming to ignore the fact that the crime Alamoudi was accused of is traveling to and taking money from a state that is under American sanctions because of its support for terrorism.
Were any of Alamoudi's old cronies brave enough to come to the phone, they could make several arguments. The first is that Alamoudi has not yet been proven guilty in court, which, in all fairness, is absolutely correct -- but which fact rarely prevents the same groups from issuing scathing denunciations of, say, Israelis involved in "massacres" of Palestinian Arabs.
The Alamoudi cronies could also claim that they could not have known about Alamoudi's Libya ties and feelings about the 1994 Argentina bombing at the time they were working with him. Here they are on thinner ground. After all, there was a small but vocal chorus of those who warned against Alamoudi all along -- not because they knew of his financial dealings with Libya, but because they knew of his public statements defending terrorists groups like Hamas and terrorist states like Sudan. The counterterrorism expert Steven Emerson made the case in a March 1996 op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal. The Hudson Institute's Michael Horowitz embarked on an indefatigable letter-writing campaign with officials of the State Department and with Alamoudi's friends in the Roman Catholic church. The Zionist Organization of America issued press releases denouncing American officials who met with Alamoudi for lending him legitimacy. Other think-tank denizens -- Daniel Pipes of the Middle East Forum and Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy -- made their anti-Alamoudi sentiments clear. In response, they've been denounced as anti-Muslim bigots.
Even Hillary Clinton had the good sense to return a contribution by Alamoudi to her Senate campaign after it came to light in the press.
Perhaps the best defense of Alamoudi's dupes outside of government was that the FBI and the State Department, even the White House, were meeting with the Muslim leader. Should the Catholic bishops have been expected to be holier than the pope when it came to American counterterrorism? Here, perhaps the message is starting to sink in. The FBI recently canceled plans to bestow an "Exceptional Public Service Award" on October 9 to Imad Hamad, the Midwest regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, another group that, like Alamoudi's American Muslim Council, has been a public apologist for the terrorists. It's hard to expect Catholic bishops or Republican activists to take a hard line against American terrorist-sympathizers if the American government is busy meeting with them or giving them awards.
Ira Stoll is vice president and managing editor of the New York Sun.
Actually $inator Hildebea$t lied about returning the money. An article posted on FR recently showed that the DNC returned the money, not her or her campaign fund.
Many of us doubted that she ever returned the money when we were lied to by the media that she had.
A more accurate statement would be "terrorists voted overwhelmingly for Bush in 2000", "They plan not to in 2004."
"George W. Bush should thank Florida Muslims for opening his way to the White House. Responding to a national campaign, they discarded normal Democratic Party allegiance and voted as a bloc for the Republican from Texas, providing him with a statewide net gain in Florida of more than 64,000 Muslim votes."
"The most important factor that led Muslims to vote as a bloc for Bush was the unity and perseverance of the leaders of four principal public policy organizations: the American Muslim Alliance (AMA), the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the American Muslim Council (AMC), and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). In participating, two of the leaders?Dr. Agha Saeed, founder and chairman of AMA and the chief engineer of Muslim bloc voting, and Salam Al-Marayati, national director of MPAC?departed from their customary allegiance to the Democratic Party. CAIR was represented by Omar Ahmad and Nihad Awad and AMC by Yahya Basha, M.D."
http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2003-09/02/article07.shtml
"She warned that unlike the 2000 elections in which Arabs and Muslim Americans voted overwhelmingly for Bush, things could not stand a repeat in the 2004 presidential elections."
http://www.hvk.org/articles/1000/56.html
Publication: Islamic Views Date: October 20, 2000
Election 2000: October 20 News Briefs
"American Muslim voters are likely to vote for George W. Bush in the polls next month, according to survey released this week by the Council on American Islamic Relations".
While I don't support the Bushwatch site or the politics behind it, they do have the facts as it applies to the issues in the "Bye, Alamoudi" post. This link contains the picture of Bush and Laura posing with the terrorist Arian considered too inflammatory to post on FR. Again, I realize bushwatch is a bushbash site, but when it comes to arab muslim terror associations with Grover and Bush and the 2000 election, they do have facts.
My only point is to show that the terrorist contingent gave their support to Bush in 2000, something they don't plan to do in 2004, not to Bushbash.
http://www.bushwatch.com/samibush2.htm
"ALLEGED TERRORIST MET WITH WHITE HOUSE ADVISER" KARL ROVE, PHOTOGRAPHED WITH BUSH DURING CAMPAIGN "A former university professor indicted this week as a terrorist leader attended a 2001 group meeting in the White House complex with President Bush's senior adviser, Karl Rove, administration officials said yesterday. Sami Al-Arian, a former computer engineering professor at the University of South Florida, had been under investigation by the FBI for at least six years at the time of the June 2001 briefing for a Muslim organization. Numerous news accounts also had said federal agents suspected Al-Arian of links to terrorism. Al-Arian and his family also were photographed with Bush during a March 2000 campaign stop near Al-Arian's suburban Tampa home.... Al-Arian posed with Bush and his wife, Laura, at the Florida Strawberry Festival on March 12, 2000, a moment captured in an Al-Arian family photo. Nahla Al-Arian said Bush noticed her traditional headscarf and asked to meet her family. "The Muslim people support you," she recalled telling him. The family said that Bush gave their lanky son, Abdullah, the nickname "Big Dude."...And Bush sent a letter of apology to the suspect's wife after the Secret Service ejected their son -- who was then a congressional intern -- from the White House complex during a separate June 2001 meeting of Muslims interested in the president's faith-based initiative. Al-Arian's appearance at the White House came six days earlier, also as part of the administration's outreach to Muslims, officials said.... Al-Arian has told The Post that he and wife Nahla campaigned for Bush in Florida mosques and elsewhere because they thought him the candidate most likely to fight discrimination against Arab Americans." 2.22.03
 |
|||||
 Abdurahman Alamoudi Indicted Al-Qaeda Suicide Wills Appear on New Al-Qaeda Website SAAR Network Affidavit Unsealed Terrorism Headlines of the Week Al-Qaeda takes responsibility for hotel bombing in Baghdad Rita Katz to Appear on Fox News Terrorism Headlines of the Week Who, and What, Does He Know? Abdurahman Alamoudi Fact Sheet Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terror groups use anonymity, Web to spread message Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorist Mastermind Hambali Arrested--Fact Sheet Aiman al-Zawahiri and Imad Mughniyah left Iran recently Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week WWW. J I H A D .COM Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week A Global Network At Least 7 Men Arrested for Ties to Terrorism Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week Idaho Arrest Puts Muslim Students Under U.S. Scrutiny Al-Qaeda Spokesman in Iranian Custody Terrorism Headlines of the Week Zawahiri Tape Recorded before Terrorist Attacks in Riyadh and Casablanca Terrorism Headlines of the Week Saudi Relief Hypocrisy Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week Terrorism Headlines of the Week A Saudi Group Spreads Extremism In 'Law' Seminars, Taught in Dutch 500 Fundamentalist Egyptians Fighting in Iraq Al-Neda Resurfaces Again Terrorism Headlines of the Week Ansaar Al-Islam Website Shows Al-Jazeera Pictures Al Qaeda's Money Man Al-Qaeda Website Resurfaces German Mosque Is Suspected Of Plotting New Terror Attacks Federal agents launch new raids against financing schemes allegedly used by terrorists The End of Al-Qaeda? U.S. Raids Afghan Villages for al-Qaida Sears Tower allegedly was on 9/11 target list List of Early al Qaeda Donors Points to Saudi Elite, Charities U.S. Links Muslim Scholar To Possible Terror Funding Hunting in the Barren Hills Bin Laden's capture would hurt, but not necessarily end al-Qaida, officials say Seized laptop lists al-Qaeda hideouts Special ops target border safe houses US troops will face suicide attacks, Hezbollah warns Arab volunteers reportedly trained for suicide attacks in Iraq Saudi form of Islam wars with moderates Germany sends 4 to prison in New Year's plot Terror Tools Government says suspect hid involvement in charity that sent money Muslim Cleric Is Sentenced To 9 Years for Inciting Murder Haifa bus bomber kills 15, wounds dozens. Philippines announces breakthrough in probe of deadly airport blast Al Qaeda names match those under U.S. surveillance Millions Raised for Qaeda in Brooklyn, U.S. Says The Iran Connection AL QAEDA'S IRAQ 'ARMY' GROWS TO 400 Treasury's New Office to Focus On Fighting Terror Financing Clicking On Terrorism Fact Sheet on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed ANTI-TERROR FORCES ARREST IDAHO STUDENT INVESTIGATORS SUSPECT HE HAS TIES TO BIN LADEN FBI arrests 20 suspects in terror investigations Charges allege schemes to send cash to Mideast U.S. Indicts Four, Charity for Sending Money to Iraq 9/11 suspect cut unlikely figure in terror plot; Even within cell, viewed as outsider US furious as Britain ignores extradition plea Germany to Charge a Second 9/11 Suspect US troops to fight Abu Sayyaf in Sulu Palestinian Professor Arrested in Fla Sami Al-Arian Fact Sheet Fact Sheet on 7 Others Indicted with Sami Al-Arian Evil Genius The Tide of Madness 15 years for 9/11 conspirator Saudi Arabia holding 90 al-Qaeda members: minister Six new airport arrests in Britain U.S. Increased Alert on Evidence Qaeda Was Planning 2 Attacks Osama bin Laden's eldest son spotted in Iran: report False Alarm? Terror Alert Partly Based on Fabricated Information Trial for Accused 9/11 Accomplice Ends Bin Laden Tape Urges Iraqi Suicide Bombs Illinois Islamic Charity Leader Pleads Guilty America's 'Public Enemy No 2' is a hero at home in Jordan Announcement of Terrorism Threat Level Increase to Orange European terror suspects got al Qaeda training, sources say Islamic chaplain banned from prison ministry for September 11 remarks Court deals U.S. defeat in Islamic fund case Arrest Shows Indonesia Is Team Player in Terror Battle Eleven Connected to Hizballah Indicted Details on 'Shoe Bomber' Released New Powers Fuel Legal Assault On Suspected Terror Supporters Canadian admits to role in hunt for 'White Meat': Confessions to the FBI Yemeni Sheikh of Hate Fact Sheet on the Elashi Brothers and InfoCom Collaborating Financiers of Terror The Man Behind the Curtain The Weakness of the West Getting at the Whole Network American Servers of Terror
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||
|
|||||
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
