The FBI believes that Hamas has even gone so far as to set up a for-profit American corporation. On September 5, 2001, agents from the Joint Terrorism Task Force operating out of Dallas, Texas, executed a search warrent against InfoCom Corporation, and Internet service provider in Richardson Texas, for its ties to Hamas. Though the affadavit requesting approval for the search of InfoCom's offices remains classified, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) notified InfoCom that two of its bank accounts, totaling $70,000, had been frozen due to a lump-sum investment of $250,000 provided to InfoCom in 1993 by Nadia Elashi Marzook, the wife of Musa abu Marzook (the "Head of the Political Bureau of Hamas" -- he directly provided the funds and ordered the killing of hundreds of Israelis). As a by-product of the search instituted against InfoCom, the Bureau of Export Administration had suspended InfoCom's export privileges based on suspicions that InfoCom had violated U.S. Export control laws by making shipments to Libya and Iran, two states listed as state sponsors of terrorism.
Furthermore, subpoenas were served on two of InfoCom's clients, the Islamic Association of Palestine and the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development. Ghassan Dahduli, a former empolyee of InfoCom and an officer in the American Middle Eastern League for Palestine (AMELP) - a 501(c)(3) charity with direct links to the Islamic Association for Palestine - was taken into custody by federal authorites on September 22, 2001, after refusing to answer questions. Dahduli has aslo been implicated as an associate of one of the individuals who was convicted for a role in the August 1998 attacks on the United States embassies in Africa.
But the FBI, which took part in the raid Wednesday at privately held InfoCom, in the Dallas suburb of Richardson, denied any anti-Arab bias and said it was executing an unspecified federal search warrant.
The FBI declined to specify the target of the search warrant, which is under seal in a federal court, except to say in a statement that the search was ``one aspect of a more than two-year investigation that is ongoing.''
Analysts said it was not surprising the federal government would chase down terrorism leads in cyberspace.
``Terrorist organizations use the new technology just like everybody else,'' said Donald Hamilton, deputy director of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism.
InfoCom's owners said the raid resulted in a temporary shut-down of Web sites it hosts for about 500 customers, including that run by Al-Jazeera television and the newspaper Al-Sharq, both based in the Gulf state of Qatar.
Al-Jazeera is a major regional news source for Arabic speakers. Often dubbed ``the Arab CNN,'' it has emerged as a major force in a region where most broadcasters operate under direct state control.
The Web sites were shut down while about 80 agents copied information from InfoCom's Internet servers, said Ghassan Elashi, brother of owner Bayan Elashi.
He said many of the sites were able to start up again on other servers, while the task force continued to copy computerized information Thursday. The office remained sealed off by FBI agents.
``We have nothing to hide. We are cooperating 110 percent with the FBI,'' InfoCom's lawyer Mark Enoch told reporters.
But Enoch said whatever tips had led to the search was ``bad information.''
``If they think they're going to find that InfoCom is associated with terrorism, they're wrong. It's not,'' he said.
Elashi said InfoCom's customers were not solely Arabic or Muslim. ``They are across the board, from Dallas to California to other places around the world,'' he said.
Several American Islamic groups condemned the search as ``an anti-Muslim witchhunt promoted by the pro-Israel lobby in America,'' according to a statement from 10 organizations, including the Muslim Public Affairs Council.
``We are deeply concerned that there is a pattern of stereotyping that permeates all these types of investigations. There is a marginalization of the American-Muslim population,'' Mahdi Bray of the Los Angeles-based council said at a news conference outside the closed InfoCom office.
The FBI denied the raid was any kind of witchhunt.
``We were executing a search warrant as part of a criminal investigation. It had nothing to do with anti-Islamic or anti-Palestinian or anti-Middle East issues or anything like that,'' said special agent Lori Bailey, spokeswoman for the Dallas FBI office.
The search was conducted by the North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force, a multi-agency federal and local grouping which includes the FBI, Secret Service and the U.S. Customs Service.
It also includes the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control, an arm of the Treasury Department empowered to freeze or seize the assets of individuals or organizations that have been designated by the government as terrorist.
FBI Search of Online Firm Called Anti-Arab
The Los Angeles Times
; Los Angeles, Calif.; Sep 7, 2001;
Abstract:
Federal agents continued
searching the headquarters of an Internet company Thursday as part of an
ongoing terrorism investigation, the FBI said. Muslim leaders said authorities
acted on scant evidence and anti-Arab stereotypes.
InfoCom attorney Mark Enoch said the company has no links to terrorist
groups and was cooperating with the FBI, even helping agents navigate the
computer system. InfoCom has 15 employees....
By BEN TINSLEY
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Sept. 24, 2002
A Palestinian accused of having ties to Osama bin Laden remained in custody Sunday night in Denton County after he was arrested by agents of the FBI's North Texas Joint Task Force on Terrorism.
Ghassan Ahmed Dahduli, 41, was arrested at his Richardson home Saturday in connection with a bond revocation from the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
He is considered a flight risk and a danger to the community because of his alleged ties with Wadih el Hage and Osama bin Laden and his unwillingness to talk with federal authorities, FBI spokeswoman Lori Bailey said Sunday.
"We are attempting to interview everybody," she said. "Some people don't want to be interviewed, and he seems to be one of them."
Members of Dahduli's family contacted at his home declined to comment about his case Sunday night.
In another development, two men were taken off American Airlines Flight 886 at Bergstrom Airport in Austin on Sunday night after their names were found on an FBI list of those wanted for questioning in connection with recent terrorist activities, officials said.
The plane was due to leave at 6:48 p.m. from Austin to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. It was scheduled to continue to Raleigh-Durham, N.C. The departure from Austin was delayed until at least 10 p.m.
Jackie Mayo, spokeswoman for the airport, confirmed that the passengers were removed because they were wanted for FBI questioning but said further comment would have to come from American Airlines officials.
Dahduli, who was recently ordered deported by the INS, was requesting asylum from the United States, Bailey said. The immigration agency accuses him of obtaining a work visa through fraud, The Associated Press reported.
Business records generated on the Internet by a National Comprehensive Report list him as the registered agent for the American Middle Eastern League for Palestine. FBI officials say he also is associated with the Islamic Association for Palestine, or IAP.
The IAP issued a news release Aug. 22 that reported that Arabs and Muslims are being urged to attack American interests, according to a document provided by Bailey.
"Take the initiative, don't be afraid of the governments, attack American interests wherever you encounter them," the release quotes a sheik as saying. "America is shedding the blood of your Muslim brothers and sisters. America is your enemy."
Dahduli purchased his house in Richardson in June 2000 after he was granted a 30-year FHA loan for $109,944, Texas deed records show.
Since 1989, he has lived at 11 addresses in Richardson, Dallas and Tucson, Ariz., records show.
One of his post office box numbers in Richardson has been used as an address for the Islamic Association of North Texas Inc., records show.
Dahduli is in custody in Denton County because it is the holding place for many INS detainees, Bailey said.
Kevin Patton, spokesman for the Denton County Sheriff's Department, said the Denton County Jail typically houses five to 15 Islamic prisoners at any time, but there is no way of knowing whether any of the current prisoners are being questioned in connection with the Sept. 11 attacks.
Mohammed Moataz Al-Hallak, a former spiritual leader of the Islamic Society of Arlington mosque who lives in Maryland, has also been questioned by federal investigators about his relationship with el Hage.
Ben Tinsley, (817) 685-3854 [email protected]
From: Islamic Association For Palestine
-
Date: Wed Aug 22, 2001
3:08 pm
Subject:
Palestinians call on fellow Arabs and Muslims to attack American interests
iap.org (Organization)
| FAITH.MYNET.NET | 207.13.11.2 | |
| JAGUAR.MYNET.NET | 65.193.50.3 |
209.61.170.173
| NS.RACKSPACE.COM | 207.235.16.2 | |
| NS2.RACKSPACE.COM | 207.71.44.121 |