Closing Charities: Groups Shut Down Over Terror Allegations
June 23, 2005 | Read Time: 2 minutes
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Action taken by U.S. government
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Allegations against the organization
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What group says about the charges
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Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (Richardson, Tex.)
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Assets were frozen in December 2001. A federal grand jury in Dallas last year issued a 42-count indictment against the organization and seven of its leaders.
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The organization and its leaders are accused of funneling $12.4-million to Palestinian terrorists and their families.
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The Holy Land Foundation and its officials have denied any wrongdoing
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Global Relief Foundation (Bridgeview, Ill.)
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Assets seized in December 2001.
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A fund raiser for the charity, Rabih Haddad, was deported to Lebanon in July 2003 on immigration charges as part of the investigation into the group.
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The organization and its officials have denied conducting any illegal activity
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Benevolence International Foundation (Palos Hills, Ill.)
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Funds were frozen in December 2001.
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Its executive director, Enaam Arnaout, pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy for diverting about $300,000 in charitable donations to Islamic militants in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Chechnya. Mr. Arnaout was sentenced to 11 years in prison. The federal government is appealing the court’s refusal to sentence Mr. Arnaout as a terrorism offender.
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In pleading guilty, Mr. Arnaout never admitted to supporting Al Qaeda or other terrorists groups
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Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation (Ashland, Ore.)
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Assets were frozen in February 2004.
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The organization, which is associated with a charity based in Saudi Arabia, has been indicted for filing false tax returns and money laundering.
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Its officials maintain the group does not support terrorism in any form
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Islamic American Relief Agency (Columbia, Mo.)
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Funds were seized in October 2004.
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The federal government says the organization is the American branch of a charity in Sudan that is suspected of having ties to terrorists.
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The Islamic American Relief Agency has denied any connection to the overseas group, as well as any links to terrorism. The nonprofit group has sued the government to release its assets, said Shereef H. Akeel, the lawyer for the Islamic organization
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