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"Jawad said he was not forced into resigning. He asked to be removed from the committee after receiving two calls from the McCain campaign inquiring about the allegations and questioning his integrity and loyalty to this country."
Why not answer the questions? This story gives little detail about the nature of Ali Jawad's connection to Hizballah, but a wealth of information can be found at Debbie Schlussel's site. A few highlights:
Ali Jawad and his company, Armada Oil, were convicted of insurance and mail fraud in federal court and ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution and fines. Michael Mustapha Makki, Jawad's co-defendant--also convicted--in the case, USA v. Makki et al, is a member of the Makki family, many members of which were convicted of cigarette smuggling for Hezbollah. [...]
Jawad isn't shy about his support for Hezbollah. He defended Ali and Mohamed "Mike" Boumelhem, when they were caught by U.S. Customs agents trying to smuggle weapons to Canada and ultimately to Hezbollah. And he told The Detroit News that the terrorist group, which murdered more Americans than any other besides Al-Qaeda, isn't a terrorist group: 'Killing innocent people -- we reject that. Hezbollah does not fit this category. It has protected its people'.
Jawad is known as one of the most important agents of Hezbollah in the U.S. He is related (through his brother's marriage into the Safieddine family) to Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah and the man Iran has designated as Nasrallah's heir apparent, Hachem Safieddine (currently a member of the 7-member Hezbollah ruling council, the Shurah Al-Karar). The Jawad and Safieddine families have many business dealings together. Both Ali Jawad and the Safieddines own many gas stations throughout the Detroit area. Armada Oil--of which Jawad is CEO--also distributes gas to gas stations throughout the Detroit area.
There is much more at Schlussel's website.
Now, can you see where this might make the McCain campaign a bit uncomfortable? It's a little hard to look tough on national security with a person with so many unanswered questions about his own standing with respect to national security serving on one's state campaign finance committee. And the fact that Jawad's background was not cleared or investigated beforehand by any prior campaign or by the party is also a political liability.
"Arab-American leader wants McCain's apology," from the Associated Press, May 6:
DEARBORN, Michigan - Arab- and Muslim-American leaders said Monday they want John McCain's campaign to apologize for severing ties with an Arab-American businessman serving on the Republican presidential candidate's Michigan finance committee.
Ali Jawad, founder of the Lebanese American Heritage Club, was listed with five other finance committee members on an invitation to a $2,300-per-person (Ð1,490) fundraising dinner McCain plans to attend Tuesday in Oakland County.
Jawad and his supporters said during a news conference that he was asked to resign from the committee after Michigan blogger Debbie Schlussel wrote that he had ties to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. They said her comments they said were based on rumor and innuendo.
Note that the previous paragraph and the first paragraph contradict the final paragraph below.
We do not want a president who makes a decision ... based on false information,' said Osama Siblani, president of the Arab American Political Action Committee and publisher of the Arab American News. This is an insult to every Arab-American and Muslim-American in the country.'
Requests for comment were left Monday afternoon with the McCain campaign.
Besides an apology, Siblani said Jawad's supporters also want McCain to ask the businessman to rejoin the finance committee. Jawad said it would be premature to say whether he would accept such a request.
Jawad told The Associated Press Monday evening that the accusations by Schlussel were false, including any links to Hezbollah. On one particular trip to Lebanon, he said, he met with the U.S. ambassador, who arranged all his appointments with the president and members of parliament.
This is our country by choice,' he said. We're patriotic Americans, as much as anyone else.'
McCain plans to be in Michigan for Tuesday's fundraiser and plans to hold a town hall meeting with supporters Wednesday morning at a local university. There are over 300,000 people in southeast Michigan who trace their roots to the Middle East.
Monday's news conference was held at the Lebanese American Heritage Club in Dearborn, a Detroit suburb widely considered to be the center of Arab America.
Jawad is president of Dearborn-based Armada Oil and Gas Co. He moved to the United States in 1976. A Republican, he said he has contributed to Republican candidates as well as Democrats such as Michigan Sen. Carl Levin.
Schlussel said among her concerns about Jawad were two federal cases involving him and his company: He was convicted in 1997 in U.S. District Court in Detroit for insurance fraud and sentenced to probation. His company was convicted the same year of mail fraud and was ordered to pay more than $250,000 in fines and restitution.
She also alleges that he has met with Hezbollah leaders and Hezbollah-allied members of the Lebanese parliament on two trips to Lebanon.
John McCain did the right thing by asking Ali Jawad to leave,' she said.
For his part, Jawad said he was not forced into resigning. He asked to be removed from the committee after receiving two calls from the McCain campaign inquiring about the allegations and questioning his integrity and loyalty to this country.'
Posted by Marisol at May 6, 2008 5:52 PM
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Jawad is an odd bird to support and to influence a staunch foe of Hezbollah and Iran. I'm glad to see the unwanted scrutiny of the man.
Posted by: John C![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at May 6, 2008 6:04 PM
All they want is apologies for offending when there is no offense but that the truth is told. Notice the arrogance that is commonplace for Muslims. The notion of superiority of Islam, Koran, Sharia and the prophet called MooHAMtheMUD. The infidels and lowlife as in this Senator McCain. I think everyone here knows by now the usual antics from Muslims. Continue to expose the history of Islam and the heinous atrocities committed by Muslims against non Muslims in the name of Allah and Islam, now and in the past.
Posted by: savsiv at May 6, 2008 6:05 PM
I can write the appology for him:
Mr. Jawad,
I am sorry you are a terrorist.
Senator McCain.
Posted by: Weatherob at May 6, 2008 6:24 PM
A Muslim can't be a loyal citizen of a Republic.
Posted by: Ruebacca at May 6, 2008 6:29 PM
several polls taken in recent years cleary show Muslims in America consider themselves Muslim first and foremost...they also favor overwhelmingly the implementation of Islam law...and they largely support terrorist actions against America..
It is time to tighten those immigration laws.
Posted by: pulsar182 at May 6, 2008 6:35 PM
Looks like McCain has his own Rev. Wright type problems. Well, Gawd D@mn America.
Posted by: MP at May 6, 2008 6:38 PM
"Hezbollah does not fit this category. It has protected its people."
Yes, protect them by shielding the rooftops of schools and hospitals with their rocketlaunchers.
"We do not want a president who makes a decision ... based on false information,' said Osama Siblani, president of the Arab American Political Action Committee and publisher of the Arab American News. This is an insult to every Arab-American and Muslim-American in the country.'"
Translation - Rage boy where are you when we need you??
Posted by: Vincienzo at May 6, 2008 6:41 PM
This is an insult to every Arab-American and Muslim-American in the country.'
'"There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation of all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities." [Teddy Roosevelt in a speech before the Knights of Columbus]'
at May 6, 2008 6:44 PM
Perhaps McCain should offer a Rudy Giuliani type apology. Once, during his tenure as mayor of NYC, some easily offended group (I forget which one, but then there are so many) demanded an apology from Giuliani. He responded at a press conference to this demand by indicating that he sincerely wanted to extend an apology to all those members of the aggrieved group who felt they needed one.
Posted by: Wellington at May 6, 2008 7:05 PM
"Hello, Jawad, this is Jewdog, an unofficial member of the McCain campaign team. I was just wondering if it's true that you are a shady character who supports terrorist organizations, just like so many Muslims and Arab-Americans? Oh, and by the way, do you beat your wife like the Koran says you should?
Hey man, don't get mad, I'm just kidding."
at May 6, 2008 7:23 PM
From the article:
Jawad is president of Dearborn-based Armada Oil and Gas Co. He moved to the United States in 1976. A Republican, he said he has contributed to Republican candidates as well as Democrats such as Michigan Sen. Carl Levin.
BulletHead (a guy I work with) was talking about a news article he read today stating that the price for a barrel of oil will reach $200 by the end of this year.
For some reason, all that filled my mind after he mentioned that were images of "The Road Warrior".
One of my favorite movies of all time and this line by the guy introducing Lord Humungus to the oil refinery characters - "The Ayatolluh of Rock and Rolluh!" - being my absolute favorite.
Something has got to give somewhere, sometime...
Posted by: Aiken Bryce at May 6, 2008 7:52 PM
aiken - Years back, I knew a former Baltimore County cop with the nickname "BulletHead".In his case the monicker had to do with the shape and reputed hardness of his noggin' rather than any cartridge-cranium intersection.
Posted by: MP at May 6, 2008 8:02 PM
When McCain found out who and what this POS was he dumped him in the nearest sewer.
Bring him on and let the world see what the scum of the world looks like.
Posted by: Mystical Time Traveler at May 6, 2008 8:27 PM
" Muslim community leader wants apology from McCain after being dropped from finance committee over alleged Hizballah ties"
Whaty do you want to bet he gets some kind of apology.
at May 6, 2008 8:43 PM
Let's see if he caves..
Posted by: Ummah Gummah at May 6, 2008 8:47 PM
Imagine the FLOOD of 'angry' votes McCain will get if he doesn't give in... and imagine all the votes he DOESN'T get if he caves.
Show us you're a Man, Johnny-boy!
Show us you are THE MAN.
Posted by: Ummah Gummah at May 6, 2008 8:56 PM
Jawad claims Schlussel is lying - about his criminal record? Hey: all of that should be right there in the court records and the newspapers, nailed down in black and white.
He was not only accused, but CONVICTED.
Thought experiment: suppose a Presidential Candidate were discovered to have a rather suspect Italo-American businessman on his financial committee, who was discovered to have close family connections with known Mafiosi, and who had convictions as described:
"He was convicted in 1997 in U.S. District Court in Detroit for insurance fraud and sentenced to probation. His company was convicted the same year of mail fraud and was ordered to pay more than $250,000 in fines and restitution."
Don't you think such a one would be dumped forthwith, upon publication of this interesting information about his dubious and indeed criminal past dealings?
And do you think such a person would DARE to demand an apology, and reinstatement to the finance committee?
Do you think the Italian community and Catholic priests and so on - given the clear evidence of the guy's criminal record - would be jumping up and down claiming that all Italo-Americans were deeply offended by this insult?
Somehow, I don't think so.
Posted by: dumbledoresarmy at May 6, 2008 9:05 PM
Money jihad.
Advice to McCain and team:
NO apology.
NO reinstatement.
Posted by: dumbledoresarmy at May 6, 2008 9:07 PM
I hope every American posting here is both emailing and then, also, writing, on paper, real 'snail-mail', personally signed letters, explaining just why having a Muslim Hezbollah-enabler like Jawad on the finance committee, is such a very, very bad idea.
A letter to the editor of your local and state papers, and in particular, the particular newspaper in which Marisol found the story, would also be advisable, making the same points, and explaining about 'money jihad' and the abundantly-documented historic use of bribery and infiltration by Islam to overthrow targetted non-Muslim societies.
Posted by: dumbledoresarmy at May 6, 2008 9:11 PM
dumbledores, that was very logical indeed. If only McCain would say something along those lines.
The best I am hoping for from McCain is that he won't say anything at all and let the enemy speak for itself.
You could call it the sad reality of lowered expectations.
Here we have the invador-operatives of the enemy making public demands.. and noone except on a few boards like this one will say anything to that effect.
Posted by: Ummah Gummah at May 6, 2008 9:12 PM
In my first paragraph above, I should have put 'emailing and then, also, writing TO MCCAIN AND HIS TEAM'.
Posted by: dumbledoresarmy at May 6, 2008 9:13 PM
Johnny prefers La Raza's support and La Raza is funded by the US taxpayers (suckers!) via government grants while promoting the succession of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Neveda, Texas, and California from the US to create a new country called Atzland.
(Nope, I ain't making this sh@T up -- wish I was. Sure I might be "nuts" for talking about it, but perhaps you should worry more about the sanity of a presidential candidate who has already addressed this group in sleazy effort to pander the hispanic vote!")
Johnny's loyalties are with the more politically correct separatist movement apparently!
Well Johnny, you'll make a fine president someday -- perhaps in Atzland?
Maybe there you can accomodate your Hizballah financial backers as well?
As far as what is left of the US, well it will be destroyed either by Obama or Hillary or both if they end up on the same ticket as I expect they will.
Posted by: witness at May 6, 2008 9:23 PM
"This is our country by choice,' he said. We're patriotic Americans, as much as anyone else.'"
-- from the article above
No. Not possible. If someone is a True Believer in Islam -- and Jawad sounds as if he is, an eager supporter and apologist for the Lesser Jihad against Israel, his loyalty is to Islam and the Umma. The Holy Law of Islam, the Shari'a, flatly contradicts the principles, the spirit and the letter, of the most important parts of the Amreican Constitution, including the First Amendment rights, and contradicts as well the basic principle of the American, and other Western polities, that government owes its legitimacy to the will expressed by the people. If Jawad is as he appears to be, then he locates the legitimacy of any ruler or government in the will expressed by Allah in the Qur'an, as glossed further in the Sunna.
He and his supporters can shout from rooftops that they are "patriotic Americans" and even, that they are as "patriotic" as "anyone else." To anyone who has bothered to familiarize himself with the Total Belief-System of Islam, this claim will be regarded as ludicrous.
at May 6, 2008 9:26 PM
"... Ali Jawad and his company, Armada Oil, were convicted of insurance and mail fraud in federal court and ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution and fines. Michael Mustapha Makki, Jawad's co-defendant--also convicted--in the case, USA v. Makki et al, is a member of the Makki family, many members of which were convicted of cigarette smuggling for Hezbollah. [...]
Jawad isn't shy about his support for Hezbollah. He defended Ali and Mohamed "Mike" Boumelhem, when they were caught by U.S. Customs agents trying to smuggle weapons to Canada and ultimately to Hezbollah. And he told The Detroit News that the terrorist group, which murdered more Americans than any other besides Al-Qaeda, isn't a terrorist group: 'Killing innocent people -- we reject that. Hezbollah does not fit this category. It has protected its people'. ..."
We the American people are owed an apology from Mr. Jawad and his jihadist brothers. He and his co-conspirators have abused the privileges and freedoms afforded them. Their actions were designed to destroy those very freedoms and degrade our society to that of enslaved dhimmis.
at May 6, 2008 9:36 PM
Witness.. I think so too.. they're gonna run a Hiterly/Oprahbama ticket. That's their only chance to win.
And they do want to win. They will let Hitlery take the #1 slot since she's way older and Obama will be pledged the full support of the DNC if he agrees to postpone his ambitions and accept the junior role.
Between all the brainwashed 'whiteys' and the majority or the so-called 'minority vote' we will soon slide into a deeply socialistg mess from which we may never emerge whole again.
As the Dhims compete in all the ways of being PeeCee the newly emboldened enemy will be sneaking into this country in ever greater numbers and they will gain an inextricable foothold via a network of institutionalized legitimacy as well as special demands to further cement their unique and special status - separate and more equal than equal at the same time.
I foresee even more 'hate speech' legislation and the re-introduction of muzzles such as the 'fairness' doctrine in regards to talk radio.
In Germany they are policing the internet already. One famous anti-jihadist website has moved its domain and server hosting to outside the EU as a pre-emptive measure against both 'hate speech' persecution by our very own government as well as the EU on the one hand and zealous lawer attacks from islamist special-interest groups wishing to silence those who would dare speak the truth about islam.
Other countries attack authors like Brigitte Bardot and Oriana Fallacci in their efforts at silencing anti-islamist dissent among the increasingly restless native populations.
If there is one thing islam cannot handle it is the light of Truth be shone upon it. Kindo of like Dracula it would seem..
Posted by: Ummah Gummah at May 6, 2008 9:41 PM
Islam: a criminal terrorist mafia.
Kudo's to Debbie Schlussel for exposing these subversive creeps.
The collaboration of some FBI agents who seem to be on the take is deeply worrying.
All of them should be sacked at once. And the infil-traitors stripped of citizenship and deported to Hamastan.
Posted by: sheik yer'mami at May 6, 2008 10:45 PM
Another Muslim terrorist demanding an apology. Gee, how many times have we heard that? If I'm sorry about anything, then I'm only sorry that he's still alive to make future terrorist attempts.
Posted by: champ at May 7, 2008 12:15 AM
Give them an inch, they'll take a mile.
Swim with sharks and you're bound to get bit.
Don't trust them as far as you can throw them.
Play with matches, you'll get burned.
Would you want your daughter to marry one?
Talk is cheap.
These unflattering thoughts come to mind when thinking Islam, but too true. It is a dangerous game to court Islam to any cause, as the CIA found out the hard way with its ugly step child in the Afghan-Soviet war, Al Qaeda. There is no peace with Islam, no negotiations, no compromise of convenience, and surely no trusting them. They are deceitful liars, and no truce or hudna is worth the paper. For this there is no apology.
Mohammedans today are what they had always been, descendants of caravan raiders led by a delusional Arab warlord who turned his armies into slavers, hostage takers, rapers, looters, and genocidal murderers of all past civilizations conquered, all in the name of their pagan moon god Allah. Their only claims to fame, their so-called "Golden Age of Isalm", was largely stolen.
To court Islam for any modern cause other than to put it down will lead to the 'Constantinople syndrome', where they close in and one day storm through the gates. There is no peace with Islam, only war until they feel themselves totally subdued and discredited. Not a religion, no apologies to a cult of war. Action speaks louder than words.
Modern Islam has morphed into violent threats, abuse of freedoms, abuse of women, riots over most trivial things, suicide bombings, and all elements of violent Jihad terrorism against our freedoms and democratic ways of life, all powered by their Sharia. Muslims claim this is a small minority, but their silence is collective condemnation of their majority complicity, even if only with their silence. Why? What place can modern Islam occupy in the modern world? None. So, no apologies to them, ever, for any perceived slights as they play their victimhood card. They are the ones who should be apologizing to us.
at May 7, 2008 1:12 AM
Of course McCain has to do this, it certainly was a liability to have a man working on his state campaign committee with ties to Hizballah.
And of course, a blogger is the one to discover the ties and put out the warning.
Does anyone even consider background checks for the musselmen they have on staff or employ?
Posted by: Sneakyzionistcrusader at May 7, 2008 9:08 AM
Send him back to Detroitistan - this rat belongs there.
Posted by: Lebanese at May 7, 2008 9:41 AM
From Article: For his part, Jawad said he was not forced into resigning. He asked to be removed from the committee after receiving two calls from the McCain campaign inquiring about the allegations and questioning his integrity and loyalty to this country.'
This means he realized the party was over, and he better quit before he got fired. Quitting gives him the last word...let him have it, no one believes him anyway...
Posted by: duh_swami at May 7, 2008 10:30 AM
Some of our fellow readers will recieve envelopes that Mr. McCain would like filled with large checks. You may want to print this out and mail it back either with or without the desired check.
Posted by: MP at May 7, 2008 1:10 PM
McCain, as I have posted here many times, along with all his bad ideas (McCain - Feingold, Amnesty, etc.) is still our last best hope to defend the U.S. against the global jihad when compared to the likes of Obama and Hillary (don't really know if she is still viable now).
McCain has already taken heat from the Islamic lobby for his use of the term "Radical Islam", and now this ...
I almost kind of hope the "Arab- and Muslim-American leaders" continue to press this case. They are going to once again step into the "shine the light on the cockroach" scenario that has brought some of their frivolous lawsuits crashing down due to the intrusive mechanism of the discovery process. To them I say, go ahead, show us just how "innocent" this guy really is.
McCain is not stupid. I don't think he is going to cave on this issue or his use of the term "Radical Islam" even though our bright lights operating State and Homeland Security did just that.
Side query to the board ...
Do any of you wonder if any of all the great gobs of money Obama is generating are traceable back to our bucks up "friends", the Saudis? Just a paranoid thought here, I don't expect the MSM would even consider such a possibility, and if any evidence came forth to that effect, they would surely try to bury the story.
Posted by: Paleologos at May 7, 2008 1:28 PM
Interesting thought, Paleologos. The Saudis are not particularly shy about , ahem....supporting any American politician. Read the official hagiography of Bandar entitled "The Prince". Bandar makes no bones about influencing Jimmy Carter and both Bushes. The Saudis will support both sides if allowed.
Posted by: MP at May 7, 2008 1:35 PM
And he told The Detroit News that the terrorist group, which murdered more Americans than any other besides Al-Qaeda, isn't a terrorist group: 'Killing innocent people -- we reject that. Hezbollah does not fit this category. It has protected its people'.
..........................................
Innocent people. We think we know what everybody means by that--children, the vunerable, non-combatants. That is not what Jawad means by "innocent". It is likely that he does not consider any Infidel to be innocent. Only Muslims are innocent--and they reserve the right to consider whom they wish to be a real Muslim.
Surely killing Americans is not something they reject.
Posted by: gravenimage at May 7, 2008 2:52 PM
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