FALL 2003 VOL. 2, NO.2 Terrorism Awareness Project A Periodic Newsletter Updating the Chicago Connection to International Terrorism The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago BIF’s Bosnian Director Found Guilty Since September 11, 2001, the U.S. government In July 2003, a Sarajevo court found that BIF’s Bosnia has stepped up its aggressive investigation of director – Munib Zahiragic –guilty of disclosing state secrets American individuals and organizations it asserts to Enaam Arnaout and BIF’s US offices. Zahiragic, who was sentenced to two years, was also accused of being an are connected to international terrorism. informant for an alleged Al Qaeda member connected to the 1998 bombing of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. During this time three Chicago-based fundraising organizations – the Holy Land Foundation, GRF Co-Founder Deported Benevolence International Foundation, and the Rabih Haddad, co-founder and Global Relief Foundation – have had their assets chairman of the Bridgeview – based frozen for allegedly supporting terrorism. They Global Relief Foundation (GRF), was joined a fourth local group, the Quranic Literacy deported July 14 to Lebanon. Institute, whose assets were frozen in 1998. Haddad had applied for political Together, these four groups (two tied to Hamas asylum in the U.S., citing fears of a and two to Al Qaeda) have the distinction of backlash abroad after being publicly being the only U.S. organizations so charged. accused of terrorist connections. Hadad was initially denied asylum in www.windchimewalker.com Nov. 2002 and ordered deported. Rabih Haddad The U.S. Sixth Circuit court, rejecting his appeal, upheld the deportation. BIF Director Sentenced to Over 11 Years The U.S. froze GRF’s assets Dec. 2001 for alleged financial Enaam Arnaout, executive director support to Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. In Oct. 2002, of the Palos Hills-based Benevolence the U.S. Treasury Department designated GRF a Specially International Foundation (BIF), was Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) organization. The sentenced Aug. 18 to over 11 years government has also designated Haddad a “national security in prison, concluding the highest threat,” asserting that through GRF, Haddad worked closely profile local terrorism case. In with Al Qaeda operatives. .freedomnews.com February he pled guilty to www obstructing justice, racketeering UMAA and IAP Leader Loses Arnaout and defrauding BIF donors. Battle to Return Sabri Samirah, president of the Arnaout’s plea agreement required him to cooperate with the United Muslim Americans government’s broader terrorism investigations. In exchange, Association (UMAA), is a past Arnaout was granted immunity from further prosecution. In chairman of the Islamic Association presenting their sentencing recommendation, the government for Palestine (IAP). Both are based in sought a higher sentence than that provided in the guideline, Palos Hills, Ill. In Dec. 2002, citing both Arnaout’s lack of cooperation and alleged Samirah, returning from a trip to connections to Al Qaeda. Jordan, was prevented from www.mcrcnet.org continuing on to the U.S. following a Sabri Samirah Professing a love for his naturalized country, Arnaout claimed stopover at Ireland’s Shannon he was a victim of “a dirty political game,” that he had been Airport. The U.S. Attorney General, designating him a “kidnapped” by authorities, and that when he finally agreed “national security risk,” revoked his “advance parole.” Upon to cooperate, officials tried to have him alter his account “to Samirah’s appeal, a court approved his returning to the U.S. fit their theory.” In July, Judge Conlon appointed a public for purposes (only) of a hearing. That ruling, appealed by the defender to investigate whether the government was acting in government, was reversed by the Seventh Circuit Court, bad faith. At sentencing, the public defender reported that which found that the judicial branch cannot overturn an there was no sign of misconduct. attorney general’s national security decisions. Samirah has in turn appealed this latest ruling. Judge Conlon ruled that the charity’s support of fighters in Bosnia and Chechnya “didn’t constitute acts of terrorism.” Twice the U.S. denied Samirah’s permanent residency request. While concluding the prosecutors failed “to connect the dots” According to the INS, when Samirah applied for the third to show he “promoted or supported terrorist activity,” the time last October, he falsely said that his previously rejected judge stiffened Arnaout’s sentence by more than one year appeal was still pending and that when he requested after finding that diverted funds deprived needy refugees of permission to travel to Jordan, he said that he intended to aid. Defense attorneys called the prison term “unduly travel in April 2003, not Dec. 2002. harsh,” vowing to appeal. Samirah’s classification as a “national security risk” is BIF was founded in 1992 and was one of the biggest Muslim reportedly connected to his leadership of both UMAA and charities in the U.S. In Dec. 2001, the govern-ment, alleging IAP. The leaders of IAP seemingly established UMAA as a connections between BIF and Al Qaeda, froze BIF’s assets and political action committee to endorse and contribute to designated it a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) candidates. Law enforcement officials, investigative organization. The organization had also collaborated on journalists and others have described IAP as a “front group fundraising projects with the Holy Land Foundation, another for Hamas,” which the U.S. labeled a terrorist organization in defunct Chicago-based charity whose assets were frozen by the 1996. UMAA and IAP share office space and leadership, government for its alleged ties to Hamas. often co-sponsoring programs and issuing joint statements. Specially Designated Terrorist (SDT)Teaching jury investigating Midwest ties to Hamas and is appealing the in Chicago Public School and Local College contempt ruling. U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler, For almost a decade Bridgeview’s Mohammad Salah has been citing FBI reports from the HLF case, said that Ashqar is a a US Specially Designated Terrorist (SDT). Salah was working “senior Hamas activist.” Those reports allege that Ashqar as a computer networking instructor at Olive Harvey College took part in a key 1993 meeting between Hamas and HLF and a substitute teacher at a Chicago Public School. After a leaders in Philadelphia. June 2003 ABC-TV News investigation and national Imprisoned in 1998 for refusing to testify before a New York broadcast that revealed his illegal employment (SDT’s cannot grand jury investigating terrorism, Ashqar went on a hunger earn income in the U.S.), the schools were notified of Salah’s strike. A federal judge released him six months later after his status. Citing his failure to notify them of his status on his health deteriorated. Ashqar has again begun a hunger strike. employment application, both schools promptly fired him. Ashqar is a West Bank native who came to the U.S. in 1989 Salah was arrested in Israel in 1993, charged with being a to study at the University of Mississippi. Years later he Hamas operative. After confessing and serving several years applied for political asylum, contending that he feared for his in prison, he returned to the U.S. in 1997. In 1998 Salah’s safety from the Israeli government. According to Ashqar’s assets were frozen as part of a U.S. investigation into the attorney, he withdrew that request last summer because the Quranic Literacy Institute (QLI), an Oak Lawn. group that U.S. wanted to question him about his activities in the West employed him. A grand jury impaneled two years ago did Bank and Gaza. Soon after agreeing to leave the U.S., Ashqar not issue any indictments, reportedly because of key witness was called before the Chicago grand jury. Sharif Alwan’s refusal to testify against Salah. (Alwan was deported in Aug. 2003, following a two-year prison term for Former Peoria Resident his non-cooperation.) The two men allegedly ran a Hamas Named Enemy Combatant explosives training camp in Wisconsin. On June 23, 2003, former Peoria resident Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri was Trial Date Set for Sami named an enemy combatant. In Al-Arian and Chicago custody since Dec. 2001, Al-Marri Co-Defendants lived in Peoria from 1983-1991, and January 2005 is when Sami Al-Arian spent summer 2000 at a Macomb and his three co-defendants, Ghassan motel. Authorities allege that during Ballut, Hatim Naji Fariz, and this stay al-Marri ran a credit card Sameeh Hammoudeh go to trial. scam for Al Qaeda. After searching .abcnews.com Ballut and Fariz are former Chicago- his computer, the authorities found www area residents, while Al-Arian and www.abcnews.com hundreds of credit card numbers and Sami Al-Arian Hammoudeh are from Tampa, Fla., Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri lectures by Osama bin Laden. where the four will be tried. All four Al-Marri returned to the U.S. on Sept. 10, 2001. A Justice were served in February with a 50-count indictment including Department official alleged that he returned to help charges of providing material support for the Palestinian coordinate a second round of attacks on the U.S. After his Islamic Jihad (PIJ), conspiracy to murder and racketeering. arrested in 2001, he was transferred to a naval brig in (PIJ claims having killed over 100 in Israel.) This high-profile Charleston, S.C. where he is now undergoing interrogation. terrorism case will not be heard until 2005 due to the voluminous evidence being collected by the prosecution. An affidavit released this summer asserts that on Al-Arian’s On the National Front home computer were a draft and final copy of the “Manifesto Detroit: On June 3, 2003 two Moroccans—Abdel-Ilah of the Islamic Jihad of Palestine,” and plans for military Elmardoudi and Karim Koubriti—were found guilty of training of American Muslims.