Jihad of the wallet. “Westchester man admits sending aid to terrorist training camp in Afghanistan,” by Alison Gendar for the New York Daily News, September 30 (thanks to James):
A Westchester County businessman pleaded guilty Tuesday to funneling money to a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan.
Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari admitted in Manhattan Federal Court that he wired the $152,000 overseas, believing the money would buy night vision goggles for killers in a terror boot camp.
His defense team initially claimed Alishtari was more interested in getting paid by the undercover agent who asked him to make the transfer than in any cause or jihad.
Alishtari had hoped the agent, who passed himself off as a wealthy Middle Easterner, would invest in Flat Electronic Data Interchange, a loan investment program Alishtari was running.
Federal prosecutors have called it a fraud, and Alishtari fessed up yesterday that he also stole from its investors.
“Alishtari today admitted that he stole millions from investors and knowingly financed what he believed to be tools of terror,” said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara….