HOLY LAND FOUNDATION TRIAL: CAIR. Counterterrorism Blog covers the latest revelations about CAIR co-founders Omar Ahmed and Nihad Awad during the trial:

In testimony Tuesday, FBI Agent Lara Burns reported before the jury in the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) trial that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was listed as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Palestine Committee, right alongside HLF, the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), and the United Association for Studies and Research (UASR). Agent Burns further testified that CAIR received money from HLF - a claim that Nihad Awad blatantly denied in a congressional testimony in September of 2003.

[Here is an excerpt from that written testimony:

To prove that this is an outright lie, CAIR would be happy to provide a copy of the page in question from the 1996 CAIR civil rights report to any interested parties.

MYTH: In a recent congressional hearing, Mr. Emerson proclaimed that, “…[CAIR] received some of its initial seed money from the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLFRD)…”70

FACT: This is an outright lie. Our organization did not receive any seed money from HLFRD. CAIR raises its own funds and we challenge Mr. Emerson to provide even a shred of evidence to support his ridiculous claim. In fact, it is known that our DC headquarters was funded largely by a loaned grant mortgage from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), a multinational financial institution similar in nature to the World Bank.
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MYTH: “… [CAIR] has disseminated Hamas communiqués…”71
FACT: This may be one of the most ridiculous charges ever made by Emerson. This is a prima facie defamatory statement and since our incorporation in 1994, CAIR has never voiced support for Hamas, let alone “disseminate” its “communiqués.”]

That latter statement by CAIR--both in terms of voicing support for Hamas and disseminating Hamas' views--seems seems questionable based on the continuation of the Counterterrorism Blog coverage of revelations at the trial:

Awad and Ahmed are further connected to the Palestine Committee based on their positions as president and public relations director of the IAP, a Hamas front group that was responsible for the dissemination of propaganda, and has since been closed down as a result of a multi-million dollar civil judgment in a trial involving the murder of an American teenager by HAMAS terrorists.

CAIR, which touts itself as America’s premier Muslim civil rights organization, was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the trial. Burns’ testimony so far has placed both Ahmed and Awad at a 1993 Philadelphia meeting where the HAMAS members and supporters discussed a strategy to kill the Oslo Peace Accords, which threatened to marginalize HAMAS. The group also discussed ways to improve HAMAS fundraising in America. [emphasis added]

Looking forward to further revelations about CAIR. As Instapundit points out:

No wonder its membership is so minuscule

Technorati Tag: CAIR and Holy Land Foundation and Nihad Awad and Nihad Awad.