Ohio Terror Charity Threatens Legal Action After PJM Exposé
Group admits funding Hamas terror labs, but is angry that Pajamas Media reported it.
On December 29, aircraft of the Israeli Defense Forces bombed Hamas terror labs located at the Hamas-run Islamic University of Gaza (IUG) that the IDF said were used by IUG faculty members to make explosives for the terrorist group. The following day I reported exclusively here at Pajamas Media that the bombed terror labs were financed and built by the Dublin, Ohio-based Arab Student Aid International (ASAI). As I noted, ASAI is chaired by Saudi Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz, half brother to Saudi King Abdullah, who is also the organization’s primary benefactor.
In response to our reporting, the Columbus Dispatch published an article two weeks ago by reporter Dean Narciso quoting ASAI director Ishaq Y. Al-Qutub that they are considering taking legal action against their detractors — namely, Pajamas Media:
“There has been a serious misunderstanding and misinterpretation of what we do,” he [Al-Qutub] said, adding that they eventually will consider legal action.
Is it likely that ASAI will follow through on their legal threats? Not really.
For one, Al-Qutub confirms virtually every component to our story. He admits that his organization did fund the labs destroyed by the IDF and cites a figure that $425,000 was used to build the IUG facilities. And in my initial reporting I linked to ASAI’s own website, which cites the construction of the IUG labs as one of their group’s “achievements.” And IUG’s website notes Arab Student Aid’s contributions to the school, specifically mentioning the labs named after Prince Turki. Thus, any attempt to deny the substance of our initial story is contradicted by their own stated admissions.
And it would be hard for ASAI and Al-Qutub to claim that IUG has no connection to Hamas, as IUG officials aren’t bashful about their relationship to the terrorist group. In 2006, IUG professor Jameela El Shanty told the Baltimore Sun:
Hamas built this institution. The university presents the philosophy of Hamas. If you want to know what Hamas is, you can know it from the university.
And federal prosecutors last year named IUG as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism finance trial, which resulted in convictions on all 108 counts, where IUG was listed among the “individuals/entities who are and/or were part of the Hamas social infrastructure in Israel and the Palestinian territories” (pg. 2, no. 43).
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Patrick Poole is a regular contributor to Pajamas Media, and an anti-terrorism consultant to law enforcement and the military.
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37 Comments
1. Patrick Poole:Before anyone else points it out, I cite a 2006 Baltimore Sun article, but link to the NY Sun. The Baltimore Sun article is no longer online (for free, that is), but the NY Sun article carries that same quote referring back to the earlier article. And yes, I did check the earlier article to make sure it was correct. Can’t be too careful these days, as I explain above!
Jan 28, 2009 - 1:33 am 2. jvon:How many times do I have to tell you people? Stop picking on the terrorists! It’s MEAN.
Jan 28, 2009 - 2:37 am 3. Craig:“Hamas U”.
During their graduation ceremony, for the undergraduates, they hand out Kalashnikov assault rifles. For those in the masters program, they hand out IEDs. For the doctoral candidates, they save the best for last, those Qassam rockets fired at Israel everyday.
Jan 28, 2009 - 4:10 am 4. David P:Terror Charities such as these will thrive under an Obama administration.
Jan 28, 2009 - 4:12 am 5. CTN:What’s the old proverb about throwing a rock in a pig sty? Oh, yes: When you throw a rock in a pigpen, you can tell which pig you hit by the one that squeals the loudest.
Methinks I hear some squealing.
Jan 28, 2009 - 4:16 am 6. Valerie:Well done.
Jan 28, 2009 - 5:32 am 7. Roy M:Alleged terror labs.
Jan 28, 2009 - 5:34 am 8. Vaughn:Deport all Muslims now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Jimmy Carter.
Jan 28, 2009 - 5:55 am 9. Charlie (Colorado):Now, Vaughn, I’ve got good Muslim friends. The other suggestion is intriguing, though.
Jan 28, 2009 - 7:35 am 10. Fantom:Vaughn @8 +1.
The fact is any moslem is a threat as their religion requires they convert, dominate or murder all non-moslems. In truth islam/moslems are incompatable with the rest of the world, and if allowed to exist should be koranteened in their own small part of the world.
Jan 28, 2009 - 9:02 am 11. Pee Wee Herman, Community Organizer:Terror Charities such as these will thrive under an Obama administration.
Ahem. That’s Community Organizers. And yes, there’s stimulus package money earmarked for community organizing. Can’t expect them to continue to be funded by the Prince at $40/barrel.
It will be economically stimulating. Google “broken window theory”.
Jan 28, 2009 - 9:03 am 12. David W. Lincoln:I say this is due to people only wanting life to
be defined. Anything that is indefinable, like how deep are the depths of evil, well, we see selective vision.
Those with selective vision are good at paying lip service to openmindedness, but they are poor
Jan 28, 2009 - 9:32 am 13. Nate:examples of it.
#10:
Jan 28, 2009 - 9:40 am 14. R. Guest:Yeah, but what fraction of nominal muslims are actually apostates who don’t want to wind up murdered by their former coreligionists?
Responding to # 12 well said David.
Jan 28, 2009 - 11:01 am 15. goy:Hmmm…. taking legal action in response to being outed as an associate of terrorists…
Why does this sound so familiar… ?
Where did I hear about this before… ?
I’m sure it’ll come to me eventually.
Jan 28, 2009 - 12:26 pm 16. DoubleTapper:Stupid terrorists!
You’d better be careful or we’ll unleash our secret weapon!
DoubleTapper
Jan 28, 2009 - 12:58 pm 17. jcila:DoubleTapper@gmail.com
DoubleTapper, blogging on
Guns Politics Defense from Israel
This would be funny except
a. jimmy the creep carter loves these guys
b. obama thinks he can just use his infinite widom to talk to these guys
c. democrats are shutting down every thing they can (leaving just enough wiggle room though)
in case we get hit by the islamic terrorists again
to say well we tried..
meanwhile
al-quedia just published on amazon their
ABC of how to make IED’s
How much you wanna bet that one is going to sell like hiot cakes..
Jan 28, 2009 - 1:05 pm 18. Marc Malone:this is sheer insanity..
Careful, PJM, or the Missouri Sherrifs might come after you.
Jan 28, 2009 - 1:41 pm 19. Leatherneck:Watch your back.
Moon god worship is not really a religion of peace.
Jan 28, 2009 - 1:44 pm 20. mohammed:The fact that the said organization funded education in Gaza cannot make it legit to target it. There is nothing wrong if a Palestinian student who studied in the numerous universities around the world where they have the freedom to study goes back to fight for their homeland. They do not need an Obama administration to thrive if they have existed under George Bush. America has done it’s worst to the Palestinians under George Bush and guess what they have failed, that is why the change of tact. Knock, knock . Barack Hussein Obama won this election on the back of a change message. Everybody is fed up with all these lines are paranoid arguments. Americans voted decisively.
Jan 28, 2009 - 1:54 pm 21. Rob:If the Columbus Dispatch is pandering to terrorist Muslim groups (and supporters), then the Columbus Dispatch should be exposed as a weak-willed sympathizer to Islam and would no longer be reliable as a newspaper.
Jan 28, 2009 - 2:19 pm 22. Fantom:Nate @ 13,
There is that Nate. But those who call themselves moslem just to survive in a moslem environment will have to fend for themselves. I am not interested in living with the real moohamhead morons just so the apostates can have a nice life.
Jan 28, 2009 - 2:41 pm 23. Bill Narvey:We read time and again of how the Saudis are funding the spread of fundamentalist Islam throughout the world and pushing the fundamentalist Muslim and Islamist agenda on the West by:
1. funding the construction of mosques in the West, influencing choice of imam hired and what Islamist literature is available to congregants for use in the Mosque and educational purposes. Time and again we read reports of racist imams demonizing Westerners, Christians and especially Jews and the literature available does the same thing;
2. Funding Western universities to provide Islamic studies programs which as Dr. D. Pipe’s Campus Watch has discovered time and again, choose Muslim professors who engage brainwashing young minds in revisionist histories so as to see the Saudi and Muslim view of Middle Eastern history and issues involving Israel;
3. Funding various anti-Israel/pro-Muslim/Arab/Palestinian propaganda and advocacy groups that divide their time between demonizing the West and Israel and skillfully or brutishly demanding that the West accommodate their Islamic needs and wants;
4. Funding powerful lobbies in America and the EU to twist arms and use oil as a lever, a threat and a weapon to “persuade” Western leaders to the Saudi led Arab/Muslim point of view;
5. etc.
P. Poole’s article reveals that:
“Israeli Defense Forces bombed Hamas terror labs located at the Hamas-run Islamic University of Gaza (IUG) that the IDF said were used by IUG faculty members to make explosives for the terrorist group. The following day I reported exclusively here at Pajamas Media that the bombed terror labs were financed and built by the Dublin, Ohio-based Arab Student Aid International (ASAI). As I noted, ASAI is chaired by Saudi Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz, half brother to Saudi King Abdullah, who is also the organization’s primary benefactor.”
All these reports read over the years where the Saudis (and likely all OPEC nations) had some role to play in promoting or supporting Islamism against the West and pushing the West to accommodate Islam are for most readers a blur that leaves them with at best a general sense of Saudi complicity in anti-Western Islamist activities.
It seems it would be a worthwhile exercise if Mr. Poole or others recorded each and every instance of where the Saudis have had their hands in furthering the interests of anti-Western fundamentalist Islam and which activities have prejudiced the West in varying degrees.
Jan 28, 2009 - 3:12 pm 24. Leatherneck:Their homeland is in Jordan, and Egypt. Arafat was from Egypt. There is no such thing as Palestinians.
The PLO got kicked out of Jordan for causing an uprising. Just like Mohamed, they enjoy murder, and rape. Now, Hamas, who have sworn the destruction of Israel learns to make bombs with Saudi oil tick money.
Of course, do not let correct history get in the way of a good lie. Hitler, and Gobels were great at it too.
Jan 28, 2009 - 3:12 pm 25. Ran:“The Columbus Dispatch’s shoddy coverage of this controversy reminds me of why we quit our subscription about a year ago. “Dispatched” as it were.
Jan 28, 2009 - 3:28 pm 26. Anita Hope:Why is CNN flashing Pres. Carters face and giving him air space to state the venom he has coursing through his veins regarding Israel? .I remember back in the :40’s Hitler and his regime refered to Germany as ” The Homeland” now we are hearing it again as stated by so many, including # 20, and even Pres. Obama, I
Jan 28, 2009 - 3:28 pm 27. Cybergeezer:hope this is not a warning of what is in front of us as citizen’s of America, The USA….
The freedom of transfering large sums of money needs to be of prime concern for our security, both for Terrorist organizations and those involved in “ponzi” theft.
Nothing can be taken for granted or not investigated that appears questionable in todays world.
Until Islam is treated as the disease it is, nothing will change.
Jan 28, 2009 - 3:30 pm 28. Joshua:The scary thing is, if a case like this ever actually went to trial, the truth of the alleged links to terrorism could actually work in the terror-supporters’ favor. Think of the intimidating effect that would have on a jury. It would carry the credible implicit threat of “Allow us retribution through legal means, or our associates are perfectly ready any willing to use illegal means instead.” Or, put another way, “Find in our favor or [insert your worst nightmare terrorist attack scenario here]“.
Jan 28, 2009 - 4:17 pm 29. biahCeata:However, that’s not enough to be verified, and until one becomes verified, there is a sending limit on the PayPal account.
Jan 28, 2009 - 4:31 pm 30. Jewels (AKA Julian):notebook ibm
laptops lenovo
The proper response to these vermin is “bring it!”
Jan 28, 2009 - 5:27 pm 31. Mary Madigan:It seems it would be a worthwhile exercise if Mr. Poole or others recorded each and every instance of where the Saudis have had their hands in furthering the interests of anti-Western fundamentalist Islam and which activities have prejudiced the West in varying degrees
Saudi Arabia is the terrorism we’re supposed to be fighting. There’s enough evidence of Saudi involvement in terrorism to fill a section of the library of congress.
Some people have written books. Former Ambassador Dore Gold’s “Hatred’s Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism”
Former CIA agent Robert Baer’s “Sleeping with the Devil:How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude”
other sources:
Lawyer Stephen A. Cozen of Cozen O’Connor. His law firm filed an appeal on behalf of several dozen insurers that paid out billions in claims to businesses at ground zero. He tried to collect against the Saudi sponsors of al Qaeda, but they couldn’t be prosecuted due to “diplomatic immunity”
The Times Online noted that the majority of terrorists, terror charities, suicide bombers and guantanamo detainees were Saudi in their article “Saudi Arabia is hub of world terror: The desert kingdom supplies the cash and the killers”
Matthew Simmons, geologist noted that the Saudis were lying about their oil supply (they have less than we think) in his book “Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy”
In the article “Saudi Doubletalk” MSNBC reporters revealed that Saudi Chief Justice Sheik Saleh Al Luhaidan enlisted young Saudis to go to Iraq to become suicide bombers and wage jihad against American troops. Since the Washington Post later reported that the majority of suicide bombers in Iraq were Saudi, it’s obvious that King Abdullah okayed Al Luhaidan’s warmongering efforts.
The International Assessment and Strategy Center reports on how petrodollars fuel the “Little Explored Offshore Empire of the International Muslim Brotherhood”. The Saudi-financed Muslim brotherhood is the financial and ideological wing of Islamism’s military infrastructure. Their branch offices in the US include CAIR, ISNA, the Muslim American Society and the Muslim Student’s Association. This organization also works with American “peace and Justice” groups like ANSWER. They’re responsible for the violent protests against the Danish Cartoons and military action in Gaza.
In his article “The connections between the Muslim Brotherhood, Nazis and Al-Qaeda” former Justice Department prosecutor, John Loftus describes the history of our obsequious ‘friendship’ with Saudi Arabia.
Jan 28, 2009 - 6:03 pm 32. P-nut:The Saudis are our real enemies, forget the fake “friends” crap. With friends like the Saudis ,who need enemies. The sooner we deal with their hypocrisy the better.
Jan 28, 2009 - 8:20 pm 33. Hassan ben Sober:I’m fixing .45 cal lead sandwiches for the Jihadis to eat if it comes to that.
Mary Madigan is 110% right. Furthermore, the Bush administration was solidly in the sack with the Saudis, notwithstanding that all but one of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi nationals. The Saudi ambassador was personal friends with Bush father and Bush son both, and was W’s foreign policy tutor in the period before W’s first presidential run. You will also recall that while all US aircraft were grounded in the days following 9/11 Bush permitted a special flight under FBI protection to take Osama bin Laden’s American relatives out of the country.
Jan 30, 2009 - 9:46 am 34. Laura:I agree about deporting muslims.
Jan 30, 2009 - 10:32 pm 35. Nisky:HAMAS University
Feb 1, 2009 - 8:53 pm 36. cool_1:I bet they have courses like Terrorist 101, Suicide Bomber 102, Bomb Making 101.
How about books like, Terror for Dummies, Suicide Bomber for dummies, Bomb Making for Dummies
Never mind the how to’s, they can easily find that one on the internet.
Patrick,
Great article, but I’ve got a nit to pick. As a proud Alumni, I’d like to remind you that the name of the school is “THE Ohio State University”. It’s in the official charter of the school that was provided by the State of Ohio.
Thanks,
The Buckeye
Feb 1, 2009 - 10:41 pm 37. Oscar the Grump:Sounds just like France where you can be sued for telling the truth.
Feb 3, 2009 - 8:46 pm