KindHearts as stated in testimony by Steve Emerson was accused of several "connections" to terrorist groups or terrorist supporters. This chart created by the Cleveland Plain Dealer outlines Emerson's claims. Worth noting is the $85,000 donation has created the most controversy. Yet, while all of this was going on? Enter Abramoff...Last year, Newsweek made public the creation of a Charity called the Capital Athletic Foundation, by Abramoff that was supposed to provide sports programs and teach "leadership skills" to city youth.
More than $140,000 of foundation funds were actually sent to the Israeli West Bank where they were used by a Jewish settler to mobilize against the Palestinian uprising. Among the expenditures: purchases of camouflage suits, sniper scopes, night-vision binoculars, a thermal imager and other material described in foundation records as "security" equipment.
Perhaps now given Abramoff's current situation more information will come out on this. I think everyone acknowledges funding terrorism is not only illegal but not something that should be tolerated. However, it appears there is a one-sidedness to this. While I don't necessarily agree it is bordering on "McCarthyism", it does appear the concern that this is being unevenly monitored is a realistic one.
12 comments:
I'm concerned about the seeming misdirection of funds, but not where the funds went to.
You may have missed the news for the last sixtty years or so, but the damned Muslims are out to finish what Hitler started, while the Israelis limit their targets to terrorists.
If you find the two sides to be morally equivalent, then you need to rethink your moral values.
Not all muslims are out to finish what Hitler started, especially not the majority of the ones who are US citizens.
As US citizens they should have the same rights to create and fund charities as long as they are following US law. Which at this point given the amount of scrutiny? They are.
Hey "rhymes with right," time to stop living in a world of black and white, where white is always right. Where have YOU been for the last 60 years?
I don't defend the terrorist tactics of any fundamentalists, but that whole region has been occupied and sliced up, with a majority of the Muslims kept poor and demoralized for over a century. And you expect them to trust us?
Remember the Shah of Iran that the U.S. supported? The west never gave the people of the Middle East a REASON to want peace because we pushed them around for years. Now that some of them are militant, we wonder why they react this way. So of course our answer is to continue to force our influence on them. I really don't understand why anyone is stupid enough to believe that forcing them into submission is a workable plan, but that's what we continue to do.
There may be peace in the Middle East someday, but not in our lifetime because we continue to use heavy-handed methods. Peace begins with an offer of peace, not a threat of war.
I'd agree with you Tim that attempting to force them into submission seems to have the opposite effect which is create more extremists.
Infact rhymes, the majority of those who are extremists are violating some of the very tenents of the religion they claim to follow. It's like assuming Phelps or Robertson would be representative of Christianity.
This is truly sad, though somehow not surprising.
What will it take for people to realize terrorism is bad no matter who uses it?
I'll bet if given enough time, money, and wiretaps, they could find links between you or me and al-Quaeda, Lisa.
You correctly link McCarthyism with the current terrorophobia. Very similar parallels there.
Jihad Smaili is the one who made the original comparison according to the Blade:
He likened KindHearts' predicament to that of innocent Americans accused of being communist sympathizers during the McCarthy era in the 1950s.
That's probably my next huge article...on the concept of McCarthyism, especially after reading an article by Arthur Miller..
:-)
I've said the name "Al-Quaeda," so I guess I'm linked. *shrug*
uh oh...
:-)
Stephanie is now in a Department of Fatherland Security zip drive as we speak.
BTW - thanks for filling in on Nazi detail for me on my blog, Lisa. I spent most of the day fiddling with my beater Honda.
I was going to link your fine post on Prussian Blue, but then I backed off when I thought about the idiot traffic you would get.
You already find enough of my blog slime finding their way here as it is!
:-}
Mike, trust me it doesn't bother me that you didn't link me and if you notice? I didn't link me either - lol
:-)
Kinda makes one wary of any so-called charities, unless you have had direct experience with them.
And even then...
Not everything is as it would appear to be.
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