The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has cut off contacts with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) amid mounting concern about the Muslim advocacy group’s roots in a Hamas-support network, the Investigative Project on Terrorism has learned. The decision to end contacts with CAIR was made quietly last summer as federal prosecutors prepared for a second trial of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF), an Islamic charity accused of providing money and political support to the terrorist group Hamas, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
CAIR and its chairman emeritus, Omar Ahmad, were named un-indicted co-conspirators in the HLF case. Both Ahmad and CAIR’s current national executive director, Nihad Awad, were revealed on government wiretaps as having been active participants in early Hamas-related organizational meetings in the United States. During testimony, FBI agent Lara Burns described CAIR as a front organization. Hamas is a US-designated foreign terrorist organization, and it’s been illegal since 1995 to provide support to it within the United States. The decision to end contacts with CAIR is a significant policy change for the FBI. For years, the FBI worked with the national organization and its state chapters to address Muslim community concerns about the potential for hate crimes and other civil liberty violations in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
This is where I’d make a snarky comment about how liberal American Jewish leaders used to advise Obama to suck up to CAIR despite CAIR’s ties to Hamas. But given that Obama had a Hamas-linked cleric speaking at his Inauguration after his campaign repeatedly coordinated with CAIR during the election – eh.
References:
* IPT Exclusive: FBI Cuts Off CAIR Over Hamas Questions [CT Blog]
* Act Now to Heal Religious Hatred, End "Religious" Terrorism [Waskow / WaPo]
* Obama prayer leader from group US linked to Hamas [AP]
* So, About Those Unindicted Co-Conspirators That Democrats Are So Cozy With… [MR]
Previously:
* CAIR: Complaining About The Anti-Semitic Attacks We’re Inciting Is A "Distraction"
* Video: Obama Outreach Coordinator Meets With CAIR Reps, Terrorist-Endorsing Preachers (Plus: FBI Testimony Links CAIR To Terrorists)
* CAIR Asks Obama To Restore "Respect For Rule Of Law" In Highly Nuanced Way
