| FrontPageMag.com | By Robert Spencer | By Hugh Fitzgerald | Books | Dhimmi Watch | Islam 101 | Qur'an Blog | Raymond Ibrahim | Robert Spencer |  |
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
Here's a pdf of the indictment itself, and here's the DOJ press release on the Siljander indictment (thanks to Timothy):
KANSAS CITY -- A federal grand jury in the Western District of Missouri has returned a superseding indictment that charges the Islamic American Relief Agency (IARA) and several of its former officers with eight new counts of engaging in prohibited financial transactions for the benefit of U.S.-designated terrorist Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. The indictment also charges former U.S. Congressman Mark Deli Siljander with money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction of justice in the case.The 42-count superseding indictment returned today was announced by Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; John F. Wood, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri; Joseph Billy, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division; and Monte C. Strait, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office.
“This superseding indictment paints a troubling picture of an American charity organization that engaged in transactions for the benefit of terrorists and conspired with a former United States Congressman to convert stolen federal funds into payment for his advocacy on behalf of the charity,” said Assistant Attorney General Wainstein.
“An organization right here in the American heartland allegedly sent funds to Pakistan for the benefit of a specially designated global terrorist with ties to al-Qaeda and the Taliban,” said U.S. Attorney Wood. “By bringing this case in the middle of America, we seek to make it harder for terrorists to do business halfway around the globe. The indictment also alleges that a former congressman engaged in money laundering and obstruction of a federal investigation in an effort to disguise IARA’s misuse of taxpayer money that the government had provided for humanitarian purposes.”
IARA, the Islamic charitable organization named in today’s indictment, was headquartered in Columbia, Mo., and was formerly known as the Islamic African Relief Agency-USA. IARA was officially formed in 1985 and closed in October 2004, when it was identified by the U.S. Treasury Department as a specially designated global terrorist organization. Mubarak Hamed, 51, of Columbia, Mo., a naturalized U.S. citizen from Sudan, served as IARA’s former executive director and is named as a defendant in the indictment.
Also charged in today’s superseding indictment is Mark Deli Siljander, 57, a former U.S. Congressman from Michigan (1981-87) who serves as the owner/director of Global Strategies, Inc., a planning, marketing and public relations company located in the Washington, D.C. area.
Other defendants named in the indictment are Ali Mohamed Bagegni, 53, formerly of Columbia, Mo, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Libya and a former member of IARA’s board of directors; Ahmad Mustafa, 55, of Columbia, a citizen of Iraq, and a former fund-raiser for IARA; Khalid Al-Sudanee, 56, a citizen and resident of Jordan, and the regional director of the Middle East office of the Islamic African Relief Agency (also known as the Islamic Relief Agency, or ISRA); and Abdel Azim El-Siddig, 51, of Palos Heights, Ill., a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Sudan, and formerly vice president for international operations for IARA.
On March 6, 2007, IARA, along with five officers, employees and associates were charged in a 33-count indictment for illegally transferring funds to Iraq in violation of federal sanctions. They were also charged with stealing government funds, with misusing IARA’s charitable status to raise funds for an unlawful purpose, and with attempting to avoid government detection of their illegal activities by, among other things, falsely denying in a nationally-televised interview that a procurement agent of Osama bin Laden had been an employee of IARA. These charges are included in the superseding indictment returned today.
New Terrorism-Related Charges Against IARA
Today’s superseding indictment adds to the original charges by alleging that IARA and its former executive director, Mubarak Hamed, engaged in prohibited financial transactions for the benefit of Specially Designated Global Terrorist, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, an Afghan mujahideen leader and founder of the Hezb-e-Islami-Gulbuddin (HIG), who has participated in and supported terrorist acts by al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Hekmatyar has vowed to engage in a holy war against the United States and international troops in Afghanistan. The U.S. government designated Hekmatyar as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on Feb. 19, 2003, thereby blocking all property and interests in property of Hekmatyar.
According to Counts Thirty-Four through Forty-One of the new indictment, IARA and Hamed knowingly and willfully engaged in financial transactions for the benefit of Hekmatyar’s organization by sending approximately $130,000 in 2003 and 2004 in numerous transactions to Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA) bank accounts in Peshawar, Pakistan, purportedly for an orphanage housed in buildings owned and controlled by Hekmatyar.
“Sending money to benefit designated terrorists jeopardizes both U.S. national security and the security of nations around the world,” said Assistant Director Joseph Billy, Jr., FBI Counterterrorism Division. “The FBI will continue to work diligently with our partners in the law enforcement and intelligence community to pursue suspected terrorists and their supporters, whether in the United States or overseas.”
It is important to note that the indictment does not charge any of the defendants with material support of terrorism, nor does it allege that they knowingly financed acts of terror. Instead, the indictment alleges that some of the defendants engaged in financial transactions that benefited property controlled by a designated terrorist, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
New Charges Against Former Congressman
Today’s superseding indictment also names Mark Deli Siljander as a defendant on counts of money laundering, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. According to the indictment, Siljander was hired in March 2004 by defendants IARA, Hamed, and Bagegni to advocate for the removal of IARA from a U.S. Senate Finance Committee list of non-profit organizations suspected of being involved in supporting international terrorism.
The Senate Finance Committee placed IARA on this list of charities and published the list on Jan. 14, 2004. Siljander was to advocate for IARA’s removal from the list and reinstatement as an approved government contractor by gathering information and meeting with individuals and agencies of the U.S. government.
As compensation for the services that Siljander agreed to perform, IARA transferred roughly $50,000 in stolen federal funds to accounts that were controlled by Siljander at the National Heritage Foundation and the International Foundation. According to the indictment, the funds used to compensate Siljander for his services had previously been stolen from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) by IARA, Hamed and Bagegni. The International Foundation and the National Heritage Foundation, which is not related to the Heritage Foundation, are not charged with any wrongdoing in this case.
IARA, Hamed and Bagegni had previously entered into a series of agreements with USAID for relief projects in Mali, Africa. When USAID terminated those agreements in December 1999, the amount of money involved totaled approximately $2 million. IARA had allegedly failed to fully fund the matching contributions required to receive USAID funds. After the termination of these agreements, the indictment alleges, IARA, Hamed and Bagegni, without authorization, retained approximately $84,922 of USAID money and failed to return the funds to USAID as called for by the agreements.
According to Count Twenty-Eight of the indictment, Siljander and defendants IARA, Hamed, Bagegni and El-Siddig conspired to engage in money laundering by transferring stolen USAID funds, knowing that the transfers were designed to conceal the nature, source and ownership of the proceeds. Counts Twenty-Nine through Thirty-One of the indictment charge Siljander along with IARA, Hamed, Bagegni and El-Siddig with engaging in money laundering by transferring stolen USAID funds, knowing that the transfers were designed to conceal the nature, source and ownership of the proceeds.
Obstruction of Justice
Count Thirty-Two of the indictment alleges that Siljander obstructed the due administration of justice in the grand jury investigation in the Western District of Missouri by making false statements to FBI agents in December 2005 and to FBI agents and federal prosecutors in April 2007.
According to the indictment, Siljander told federal officials that he had not been hired to do any lobbying or advocacy work for IARA and that the money or checks he received from IARA were charitable “donations” intended to assist him in writing a book about bridging the gap between Islam and Christianity. When he made these statements, he then well knew and believed that each statement was false, the indictment alleges.
The public is cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. AID-Office of Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony P. Gonzalez from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, in conjunction with Trial Attorneys Corey J. Smith, National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and Steven M. Mohlhenrich, Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Posted by Robert at January 16, 2008 4:11 PM
Print this entry
| Email this entry
| Digg this
| del.icio.us
Holy freakin' froglegs! A U.S. Congressman? A Republican? A Reagan appointee to the U.N.?.....
Wow, I am depressed.
Posted by: n.a. palm![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at January 16, 2008 4:25 PM
Hmmm,
"According to the indictment, Siljander told federal officials that he had not been hired to do any lobbying or advocacy work for IARA and that the money or checks he received from IARA were charitable “donations” intended to assist him in writing a book about bridging the gap between Islam and Christianity. When he made these statements, he then well knew and believed that each statement was false, the indictment alleges."
Alright... I'll concede that he probably knowingly lied to congress...
Cheers
Posted by: Doctor Bulldog at January 16, 2008 4:31 PM
If we knew the full level of infiltration, quiet sedition and treason in the west, we would be heavily shocked, I'm sure.
Our society is so open .... well it's open to everything it seems.
Posted by: Sounder at January 16, 2008 4:37 PM
I certainly hope the prosecutors are better prepared than those in the Holy Land Foundation case. We need to develop a solid working template for prosecuting all terrorist financial supporters. We know they are more crooked than the mafia. Maybe not as crooked as former congressmen, but certainly as crooked as the mafia?
Posted by: tsarbomba29 at January 16, 2008 4:38 PM
...Muslims in the USA from Libya, Iraq, Sudan, Jordan seeking ways to kill Americans?......
...it is clear to me....Ban Muslim Immigration...
at January 16, 2008 4:45 PM
If this Ex congressman is found guilty of this crime, he deserves some serious prison time.
Posted by: callmeinfidel at January 16, 2008 4:57 PM
I don't know if anybody has linked to this yet, but here is video of Mark Deli Siljander discussing the power of Fatwa, American Football and the holy spirit! Wow!
http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1359305216&channel=1320130526
Remember cross-pollation...I can't wait! Its a trip!
Posted by: greatcometof1577 at January 16, 2008 4:58 PM
Most of those islamic charities are fakes just like their founder.
Posted by: callmeinfidel at January 16, 2008 4:59 PM
Why isn't this treason? Shouldn't there be a death penalty?
Posted by: Seymour Paine at January 16, 2008 4:59 PM
Correction above..
"Cross Pollination"
Anyway, I have concluded he is either..
(1) An example of a "Jimmy Carter Christian"
Or
(2) An example of a "Jimmy Swaggart Christian"
Posted by: greatcometof1577 at January 16, 2008 5:18 PM
I am a sloooow reader, and that was a very long article for me to read, but near the end, it says, "The public is cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt."
It made me want to cry; I need a hanky.
Posted by: ssa at January 16, 2008 5:23 PM
R.I.C.O.
Posted by: dumbledoresarmy at January 16, 2008 5:24 PM
It is the 1850s. The United States of America faces the potential disaster of dissolution. The country has a two-party system consisting of the Whigs and the Democrats. A few intrepid men, many virulently anti-slavery, decide that the Whig party is going in directions that they do no wish to follow. The Democrats, however, are even worse. They make the bold decision to break from the Whigs and form a new party. This party actually wins the very first presidential election in which they run a candidate. That President is Abraham Lincoln and the party is the Republican Party. President Lincoln goes on to save the nation from the greatest crisis in its young history.
I submit that it is the 1850s all over. The country once again faces a grave crisis and again, neither party is up to the task we face. It is time for a few brave and intrepid people to form a new party.
at January 16, 2008 5:29 PM
Another dirtbag sellout to the Islamites.
Posted by: Prickzilla at January 16, 2008 5:35 PM
I have a thought.
You know that list of 138 Muslim 'scholars' that signed off on the 'letter from the Muslims to the Christians', 'a common word', back in October 2007?
Where is the investigative reporter who will carefully track and examine every single one of that 138, paying especial attention to the money trail and their familial and social and political ties?
And then, within that, devoting particular scrutiny to every aspect, personal and financial, of those eleven signatories, within the 138 who appear to be of 'western' origin - Nuh Ha Mim KELLER 'of the Shadhili Order' [Sufi?], who translated Reliance of the Traveller; Dr Murad HOFMANN in Germany; Dr Ingrid MATTSON; Alan GODLAS; Shaykh Hamza Yusuf HANSON of the 'Zaytuna Institute' in California; Shayk Kabir HELMINSKI, 'co-director of the Book Foundation, USA'; Dr Joseph LUMBARD; Dr Jean-Louis MICHON in Switzerland; Imam Yahya Sergio Yahe PALLAVICINI in Italy; Dr Suleiman Abdallah SCHLEIFER of 'the American University in Cairo; and Dr Abdal Hakim Murad WINTER of the Divinity School, University of Cambridge.
Examine their whole lives in detail from age 7 onward. And look for discrepancies, lies, subtle irregularities. Wherever you find a lie, look harder. Islam is a Religion of the Lie; far too many Mohammedans and their enablers are People of the Lie.
The third step: given the appalling betrayal that Mr Siljander appears to have been tricked, or bribed, or seduced, or even possibly threatened/ blackmailed (let's not exclude that possibility) into assisting - find the list of 'evangelical Christian leaders' in America who signed off on that apparently naively enthusiastic reply to the 'letter from the Muslims'.
Run a *thorough* background investigation on every person on that list, even the most eminent, the most devout. And do not exclude the possibility of either bribery or 'the honey trap' followed by blackmail, or the possibility that people may have been swayed by death threats against others.
To any would-be investigative reporter seeking, perhaps, the Pulitzer Prize - you have been warned, this cult is more dangerous than the Nazis were, more dangerous than Lenin or Stalin, than the Triads, the Thuggees, or the Mafia. Watch your back!
Posted by: dumbledoresarmy at January 16, 2008 5:45 PM
I submit that it is the 1850s all over. The country once again faces a grave crisis and again, neither party is up to the task we face. It is time for a few brave and intrepid people to form a new party.
Posted by: patagonianplato
That's optimistic, and that was 1850, today 2008.
In 1850 Los Angeles had the world largest old field, but today the enemies have the oil field.
Russia's oil gives them show of power; they are parading their aircraft carrier just beginning yesterday, near Syria. Saudi got the smart bomb that we hate to sell them.
China has most of our oil refined there and brough back to us.
Uk, France,Germany, Italy, Spain, i.e. EU just had bomb material packed in sugar sags smuggled in Israel. Congress made recognized Ramadan, but fell short in recognizing Christman.
Most American don't read factual news. If they read, they read propaganda. Our children don't care to read news; the only physical excercise they do is strengthening their thumb muscles on remote control.
Posted by: ssa at January 16, 2008 5:52 PM
patagonian plato:
This party actually wins the very first presidential election in which they run a candidate. That President is Abraham Lincoln and the party is the Republican Party.
Just a quibble, but Abe was not the first Republican presidential candidate. The first Republican presidential candidate was the intrepid John C. Fremont, who became the first nominee of the new party in 1856. He lost to Democrat James Buchanan in the general election, with 114 electoral votes to Buchanan's 174, and 8 for former President Millard Fillmore, the candidate of the nativist American Party and some tattered castoff Whigs.
Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Men, and Fremont!
Cordially
Robert Spencer
at January 16, 2008 6:07 PM
Mr. Spencer, By all means, please change it to the "second." Thank-you for the correction.
I maintain that neither party is up to the task we face and that another alternative is needed.
Posted by: patagonianplato at January 16, 2008 6:28 PM
While we're criticizing Republicans, this is a 1/16 letter from jpost.com:
Sir, - President Bush has made very bold, even brash demands of Israel - such as his call "for an end to the occupation" - but his credibility must be measured against US successes and failures in Iraq and Afghanistan. From that viewpoint, I think more humility is in order.
Notice that a lot of the hype about bringing democracy to "ordinary Moms and Dads" has vanished after all the disappointments from those chaotic countries. The sharp edge of Mideast realities has a way of bursting bubbles.
Many good Americans have died as a result of well-intentioned but naive policy. Let's not repeat the same mistakes with Israel.
Posted by: jewdog at January 16, 2008 6:39 PM
Jewdog
Carolyn Glick has a great column in the JPost about the absence of the media in Israel to allow the 'other side of the story' today.
It's about how Olmert has only about an 8% support, yet he seems to defy gravity and stay in power.
at January 16, 2008 6:53 PM
He would be from Michigan wouldn't he?
Posted by: ThinkForYourself at January 16, 2008 7:01 PM
A Congressman....we already have a past President Jimmy Carter doing a Book/s to promote Islam.
I wonder how much money Jimmy has made, or I mean how much money has been paid to Jimmy for speaking engagements or donation to the Carter Library?
Posted by: alaskan1000 at January 16, 2008 7:14 PM
I read that, Bea. The media is the medium that lets him levitate.
Posted by: jewdog at January 16, 2008 7:15 PM
"Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Men, and Fremont!"
Dam Right!
Preach on! It is time for a rebirth of the GOP and a return to those roots. The real GOP! The Party of Lincoln! The greatest president that this country has ever known.
We need a GOP reformation...
"Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel..."
Oh yes...oh ya..Julia W. Howe was so right.
Posted by: greatcometof1577 at January 16, 2008 7:50 PM
He would be from Michigan wouldn't he?
Posted by: ThinkForYourself at January 16, 2008 7:01 PM
When this story first aired that was my first thought Michigan, but being from Texas my first thought it would have been one of ours!
Posted by: joesamas mama at January 16, 2008 7:58 PM
OT-I'm not sure if anyone cares, but Sarah and Amina Said's 911 call has been aired and I believe Sarah names her dad on the tape. It is the most disturbing thing I have ever heard in my life. I'm new to posting and haven't heard if this is news, but it just made me sick.
Posted by: joesamas mama at January 16, 2008 8:01 PM
joesamas mama
I did not know.
Thanks, just listened to it.
Maybe Mr. Siljander should be forced to listen to it. He can build a bridge..get a fatwa. Makes me sick.
Posted by: greatcometof1577 at January 16, 2008 8:16 PM
Thanks greatcometof1577. I am glad someone listened to it. I am not clever enough to have a blog/website and I just hope I am not breaking any rules on this website by posting their story.
I don't know these girls, but am not smart enough to get the word out about their story. Thanks for checking it out.
Posted by: joesamas mama at January 16, 2008 8:37 PM
joesamas mama
The story is known, but I did not know actual audio of the 911 tape was released.
Posted by: greatcometof1577 at January 16, 2008 8:51 PM
OT but funny
http://www.pakistanlink.com/images/Entertainment/ALCOHAL.jpg
at January 16, 2008 9:57 PM
Old news I know, but I must reiterate. Rome fell from within, not by external forces.
The US is showing signs similar to "western" Europe...rotting from within.
The global muticultural paradigm and the weapon of political correctness, adulterates western culture at every turn.
The infiltration is in full vigor in the US, and worse in Europe at the moment. You can read nearly every article here at JW posted today only and not miss that obvious fact.
For every positive anti-jihadist story, there are ten to offset.
Problematic, indeed.
Thank goodness for this pedagogical site, for a reality check as to how dire the problem of the Islamic jihad really is and the countless millions upon millions who will continue to ignore it.
Posted by: awake at January 16, 2008 9:59 PM
Give until it hurts...
Posted by: pythagoras at January 16, 2008 10:35 PM
Its difficult to overstate just how "hard right" Siljander was. I haven't seen it discussed here or at Debbie's site, so I'll add some context here. In the early 80's, after Bill Milliken basically destroyed the Michigan GOP, a fight began for the party's leadership that lasted several years. On one side were the evangelicals, of which Siljander was a leading figure. On the other side were the "professionals", led by people like John Engler(himself a very devout, and private Roman Catholic). Siljander & Co had the early lead, but Engler eventually won the battle. Guys like Siljander were marginalized by Engler and his friends(e.g. Spence Abraham, Dick Posthumus, etc).
Those years were a big part of my own political formation. To see Siljander travel so far is a real shock. I'd be no less surprised if Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell had been involved.
Posted by: dfobare at January 16, 2008 11:02 PM
dfobare,
I feel your pain, and welcome.
Regards,
awake
Posted by: awake at January 16, 2008 11:38 PM
Oh-my-gosh! You guys, check this out at Debbie Schlussel's blog. She used to work for Siljander.
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/
Posted by: Isabellathecrusader at January 17, 2008 12:52 AM
Sickening. What has become of us? What are we becoming?
Posted by: Lt. Presley O'Bannon at January 17, 2008 1:11 AM
The roaches, coming from both political parties, are really beginning to scurry about as the lights are coming on.
I don't think we need a new political party, we just need the members of the existing ones to start educating themselves, and to start doing their job, which is to protect the people of the U.S. from violent attacks and from attacks on our civil liberties.
Posted by: special_guest at January 17, 2008 1:27 AM
Does this mean Siljander's authoring of a book about bridging the gap between Islam and Christianity is now on hold?
Posted by: Xero G at January 17, 2008 2:28 AM
Sickening. What has become of us? What are we becoming?
Posted by: Lt. Presley O'Bannon at January 17, 2008 1:11 AM
Look at Bush bowing in front of the Saudi King. What message does the white house send? Fish starts rotting in the head, and the head sure stinks.........
Posted by: Alert at January 17, 2008 3:53 AM
"Folks....keep your powder dry." Yes, and say your prayers, too.
Posted by: Isabellathecrusader at January 17, 2008 7:07 AM
What Mr. Siljander's doings reveal is the high degree of ignorance of the US public regarding the deception and malignance endemic to Islam.
In particular, the Kuran teaches that "Muslims may make friends with neither Christians nor Jews." NO interfaith bridges are therefore possible nor is any "cross-pollination" between Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Islamic law even forbids it. Note that in Saudi Arabia ALL non-Islamic faiths are illegal and anyone caught practicing a faith other than Islam there is subject to being prosecuted, tortured (or worse).
How many Americans are aware of this teaching by the Kuran? How many Americans really don't care to know about it? How many understand that it will be 'their funeral' if they don't?
However, if the American people HAD been aware that Islamic law prohibits Muslims from interacting honestly with non-Muslims, they would not have been fooled by this man (or whichver Muslim persons may have been using HIM to do their bidding). If Americans understood Islam better episodes like this would decline in number as Islamic shenanigans would be less apt to bamboozle them.
The Old Testament's advice: "know thine enemy" is as relevant now as ever. For Americans, that enemy is Islam.
at January 17, 2008 3:19 PM
Comments are turned off and archived for this entry.
(Note: The Comments section is provided in the interests of free speech only. It is mostly unmoderated, but comments that are off-topic, offensive, slanderous, or otherwise annoying stand a chance of being deleted. The fact that any comment remains on the site IN NO WAY constitutes an endorsement by Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch, or by Robert Spencer or any other Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch writer, of any view expressed, fact alleged, or link provided in that comment.)