CAIR Sues Over US-Canada Border Inspections

Interrogations by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies of Muslim travelers at the U.S.-Canadian border violates the travelers' rights, the Michigan chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) argues in a federal lawsuit filed Friday.

It seeks a prohibition on FBI, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents from asking Muslims about their faith.

"Invasive religious questioning of American citizens without evidence of criminal activity is not only an affront to the Constitution but also a waste of limited resources," CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid said in a press release announcing the lawsuit.

CAIR consistently attacks law enforcement efforts, particularly counterterrorism measures. It routinely criticizes terror financing investigations and counter-terror arrests involving informants. Its training programs on encounters with federal agents often instill fear and paranoia among Muslim audiences.

The FBI officially cut off non-criminal communication with CAIR in 2008 based on evidence in a Hamas-financing prosecution showing that CAIR's founding was part of the Muslim Brotherhood's "Palestine Committee" network in the United States.

The suit was filed on behalf of four people who say they were treated inappropriately. One, Wissam Charafeddine, classified his repeated interrogations as "psychological torture."

The complaint cites questions such as "Which mosque do you go to?" and "Who is your religious leader?" as humiliating to American Muslims.

Such questions would not be acceptable for Jewish or Christian American citizens, Walid said.

"I'd also like to question the protocols of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, TSA and CBP and raise a broader issue of would it be acceptable for American citizens who were Jewish to be asked by federal law enforcement how often do they make the Sabbath prayer?" Walid said.

Virginia Lashkar Supporter Gets 12 Years

A Virginia resident and native of Pakistan was sentenced to 12 years in prison Friday for providing material support to the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), a designated foreign terrorist group.

Jubair Ahmad was born and raised in Pakistan, where he received religious and commando training from the LeT. He moved to the United States with his family in 2007 when he was 19. In 2009, the FBI opened an investigation against Ahmad after obtaining information tying him to Lashkar.

According to court records, Ahmad produced and posted a propaganda video in September 2010 for the LeT on YouTube to help the terrorist group broaden its support base and recruit potential jihadists. The five-minute video included images of LeT chief Hafeez Saeed as well as "jihadi martyrs and armored trucks exploding after having been hit by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)."

Earlier this month, the United States announced a bounty of up to $10 million for information related to Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the November 2008 terrorist siege on Mumbai that killed 166 people, including six Americans.

Ahmad was also in communication with Saeed's son, Talha Saeed. According to an affidavit, Ahmad revised and reposted the video in October under instructions from Talha. Ahmad wanted to include graphic images from the Mumbai terror attacks but Talha advised him against that, citing growing pressure on Pakistan from the Indian government to bring the perpetrators of the attacks to justice. Several individuals responsible for the attacks, including the attacks' mastermind Hafeez Saeed continue to operate freely in Pakistan.

"We've seen a sharp increase in terrorists' use of social networking services like YouTube to reach a worldwide audience," said U.S. Attorney Neil MacBride in a Department of Justice press release. "Jubair Ahmad was deeply committed to LeT's violent aims, which he promoted through online propaganda, recruiting others, and fundraising for the terrorist organization responsible for the deadly 2008 attack in Mumbai, India, which killed 160 people, including two Virginians."

Clinton Dangerously Inconsistent on Palestinian Funding

In a highly controversial move, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has approved a $147 million economic support package to the Palestinian people despite a hold on these funds by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The move contradicts previous statements from Clinton that she would never send aid to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

"We will not deal with nor in any way fund a Palestinian government that includes Hamas unless and until Hamas has renounced violence, recognized Israel and agreed to follow the previous obligations of the Palestinian Authority," Clinton told Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., during a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing in April 2009.

Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, has not met any of these three conditions. Yet, a State Department letter sent Tuesday to key members of Congress alerted them of Clinton's decision to move forward with the aid package.

The funds deliver "critical support to the Palestinian people and those leaders seeking to combat extremism within their society and build a more stable future. Without funding, our programs risk cancellation," a State Department official said in an e-mail to the National Journal. "Such an occurrence would undermine the progress that has been made in recent years in building Palestinian institutions and improving stability, security, and economic prospects, which benefits Israelis and Palestinians alike."

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., who placed the hold on funding to the Palestinians, was angered by Clinton's challenge to her congressional oversight role.

"The U.S. has given $3 billion in aid to the Palestinians in the last five years alone, and what do we have to show for it?" Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement Wednesday. "Now the administration is sending even more. Where is the accountability for U.S. taxpayer dollars?"

Ros-Lehtinen blocked the aid to stop U.S. funds going to assistance and recovery programs in Hamas-run Gaza; road construction projects in the West Bank that are not vital for security; or trade and tourist promotion.

She was willing to release $88.6 million of the $147 million package under terms spelled out in a letter sent to Clinton and U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Rajiv Shah last month.

But Clinton ignored those recommendations and unilaterally approved the full payment. It's not the first example of her inconsistency regarding Palestinian governance.

In that 2009 House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing, she changed her tune ever so slightly to indicate that any future Palestinian government would need to meet these conditions and not necessarily Hamas itself.

"U.S. assistance will only be permitted to any power-sharing government in which Hamas participates, if the president certifies that the power-sharing government has met the three principles I just outlined," she said.

Convicted Al-Qaida Plotter Sentenced to 17 Years

A federal judge in Boston sentenced a Massachusetts man to 17 ½ years in prison Thursday for conspiring to aid al-Qaida terrorists.

Tarek Mehanna was convicted in December on charges related to a plot to kill U.S. soldiers overseas. Mehanna and two co-conspirators traveled to Yemen in 2004 to seek training in a terrorist camp with the goal of plotting jihad against American troops stationed in Iraq. After failing to find a camp, Mehanna and others returned to the United States to plot attacks within the United States including randomly shooting people in a shopping mall. Mehanna also launched his own online al-Qaida "media wing" to translate and distribute publications by the terrorist group.

Prosecutors sought a 25-year sentence in a memorandum filed Tuesday. A lengthy sentence would act as a deterrent to jihadi wannabes seeking to imitate Mehanna's actions, they argued, including traveling overseas to obtain terrorist training as well as using the Internet to publicize al-Qaida's violent message.

Mehanna "continues to have no respect for American law and would reoffend if given a chance" they argued "A lengthy prison sentence and period of supervised release is needed to ensure that he does not get that opportunity."

Mehanna's attorneys say he visited Yemen for religious purposes and his online jihadi activities were protected by the First Amendment.

"There was no evidence that Mehanna's actions actually threatened United States security interests. There was no evidence that Mehanna provided any tangible material support such as funds or weapons to terrorist activity or to Al Qaida," Mehanna's lawyers wrote in their sentencing memorandum.

Mehanna had denied plotting the murder of Americans and justified his actions as "self-defense."

"I never, ever plotted to kill Americans at shopping malls or anywhere else," Mehanna is reported to have said. "Muslims should defend themselves against foreign invaders. This is not terrorism or extremism. It's self-defense."

When Assistant U.S. Attorney Aloke Chakravarty told U.S. District Court Judge George A. O'Toole, Jr. that Mehanna's assertion was "categorically false," Mehanna reacted screaming, "You're a liar, you're a liar!"

Mehanna also alleged the government prosecuted him because he refused to become an informant.

Prosecutors Want 25 Years for Al-Qaida Supporter

A Massachusetts resident convicted on all counts in a homegrown terrorism conviction should serve 25 years in prison, prosecutors argue in a sentencing memorandum filed Tuesday.

Tarek Mehanna was convicted in December on charges related to terrorism and lying to federal authorities. Mehanna and two coconspirators traveled to Pakistan in 2002 and Yemen in 2004 to receive military-style training in terrorist camps to prepare them for armed jihad against U.S. troops in Iraq. The men returned to the United States after failing to find a suitable training camp overseas.

Upon his return, Mehanna worked with others in England, Canada and the United States to seek potential recruits for al-Qaida using the Internet. He launched his own al-Qaida "media wing" espousing violent jihad. The al-Qaida materials translated and published by Mehanna included 39 Ways to Serve and Participate in Jihad and the Expedition of Umar Hadid.

His publications were "less spectacular than an explosion or hijacking but no less dangerous, and perhaps more influential," prosecutors wrote. In the age of the Internet revolution, al-Qaida and related groups devote more resources to recruit and radicalize potential terrorists in the United States to carry out jihadi attacks on their own.

"Anwar al Awlaki, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, Ali Al-Timmimi are all examples of Mehanna's icons who have been pursued, imprisoned and/or killed for encouraging and inciting terrorist activities," prosecutors wrote.

A lengthy sentence for Mehanna would deter others from replicating Mehanna's actions, including traveling overseas to obtain terrorist training as well as using the Internet to disseminate jihadi materials and connect with other terrorists.

Mehanna is unrepentant and "continues to have no respect for American law and would reoffend if given a chance," prosecutors said, adding "a lengthy prison sentence and period of supervised release is needed to ensure that he does not get that opportunity."

Defense lawyers argued for a "sufficient but not greater than necessary" sentence for Mehanna. They characterized Mehanna as a victim of government excess; arguing his short visit to Yemen at the age of 21 was "entirely unsophisticated" and did not involve training in terrorist camps.

"There was no evidence that Mehanna's actions actually threatened United States security interests. There was no evidence that Mehanna provided any tangible material support such as funds or weapons to terrorist activity or to Al Qaeda," defense lawyers stated in their sentencing memorandum.

Israel Prepares for "Air Flotilla"

In anticipation of a planned "air flotilla" involving thousands of pro-Palestinian activists flying into Israel and seeking entry to Palestinian territories, Israel will be stationing approximately 650 police officers at Ben Gurion Airport this Sunday with orders to detain and deport the foreign activists.

Between 500 and 1,000 activists are expected to try to land in to Israel on about 20 flights arriving throughout the day from Western Europe and Turkey. Their suspected goal is to rendezvous with Palestinian activists and demonstrate in traditionally controversial areas such as East Jerusalem and the security fence built to stop terrorists from infiltrating from the West Bank.

Organizers contend that this week's mission, sponsored by an umbrella group called "Welcome to Palestine," is non-violent and seeks to draw attention toward Israeli travel restrictions on Palestinians.

One organizer, Abdelfattah Abusrour claimed the activists should be allowed in to engage in cultural activities and assist the city of Bethlehem.

"They have the right to enter Palestine. It's not up to Israel to forbid anybody from coming into Palestine," Abusrour said.

Israeli police view the campaign as an act of hostility aimed at creating provocations and garnering media attention. As such, the police reviewed operational details with representatives of the intelligence community Wednesday to ensure no activists successfully bypass security.

"Israel will prevent this provocation, just as every country prevents the entry of hostile elements to its territory," Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said. "We will be determined and speedy in our response, but we will not chase anyone through the halls of the airport."

As was the case with a similar "flytilla" last July, the Public Security Ministry hopes to prevent the majority of activists from boarding planes to Israel by providing airlines with lists of names to look out for compiled from social media sites. Those who manage to arrive in Israel will be removed from their planes and denied entry.

Helen Thomas Award May Damage Palestinian Aid

Two ranking congressmen sent a letter to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, warning him over awarding anti-Semitic journalist Helen Thomas, the Israeli daily Haaretz reports. The congressmen expressed frustration over the blatant incitement of the act, as well as a pattern of undermining peace talks with hate speech.

Republican Steve Chabot, Chairman of the Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee, and Eliot Engel, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote that the move was "tantamount to accepting and agreeing with her call for Jews in Palestine to go back to Poland, Germany and America and everywhere else."

The basis for their condemnation was last year's adoption of the "Preparing the Palestinian People for Peace Act," a Senate provision that conditioned American aid on a change in tone in Palestinian rhetoric toward "peace through compromise with messages of tolerance, understanding, and reconciliation."

"Unfortunately, the recognition of stridently, and sometimes even violently anti-­Israeli individuals and themes has become all too common by the Palestinian Authority," they wrote. "While Helen Thomas has not specifically espoused such violence, we see her recognition as simply part of the campaign to celebrate those who espouse harsh anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish themes. We condemn the selection of Helen Thomas for an award by your representative in Washington, DC and urge the Palestinian Authority to recommit itself to the peace process through messages of peace and reconciliation."

Baltimore Bomb Plotter Gets 25 Years

A Muslim convert was sentenced to 25 years in prison Friday for plotting to bomb a U.S. military recruiting station near Baltimore in revenge for what he claimed was an American "war on Islam." Antonio Martinez, who assumed the name Muhammad Hussain after his recent conversion, pled guilty to the plot in January and will face the maximum sentence.

Martinez made little attempt to hide his anti-Western feelings or even his plot to detonate a car bomb outside the recruitment center. He was turned down by several other individuals he attempted to employ as co-conspirators. Despite a friend's attempt to dissuade him from pursuing the attack, Martinez drove an inert car bomb provided by the FBI to the site and tried to detonate it.

The case garnered additional attention to the phenomenon of Hispanic Muslim converts plotting terror, following the highly publicized plots of Jose Padilla and Carlos Almonte. Padilla was convicted of conspiracy to kill people overseas and murder individuals overseas and of providing material support to terrorists, following allegations that he received training from al-Qaida in building and a dirty bomb. Dominican convert Carlos Almonte was apprehended on his way to Somalia to join al-Shabaab, al-Qaida's East African affiliate.

Canadian Professor Faces Extradition

Canada's Justice Minister has ordered the extradition of an Ottawa professor accused of bombing a French synagogue in 1980. While Professor Hassan Diab maintains it's a case of mistaken identity, he will face a French court that accuses him of carrying out the attack in the name of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The case against the Lebanon-born Diab hinges on two sketches made after the bombing, as well as a disputed handwriting analysis from a hotel registration card linked to the attacker. The bombing was the first terrorist attack in France since World War II, killing four people and wounding several others in and around the synagogue.

Diab has 30 days to appeal the decision by Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, which upheld of last year's decision by Judge Robert Maranger. Although Diab was replaced after B'nai Brith Canada raised concerns about his employment around Jewish students, a strong campaign by other professors continues to support him and appeal for his release and reinstatement.

CAIR Blocks Discussion of Islam – But Only Temporarily

Efforts by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) to squash a lecture by writer Robert Spencer have been thwarted.

Spencer originally planned to speak April 18 at the New York law firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel about his forthcoming book, Did Muhammad Exist? The talk was sponsored by the Middle East Forum (MEF), headed by Daniel Pipes.

CAIR issued an action alert March 29 calling on the firm to rescind its invitation, claiming the event would promote "Spencer's claim that Islam's Prophet Muhammad may never have existed." Spencer's book is based on his review of the 130-year scholarly tradition that raises fundamental questions about early Islamic history, including the Muslim prophet, Muhammad.

Kramer Levin yielded to CAIR and rescinded Spencer's invitation. "In this instance, we were not aware of the controversy surrounding the speaker at the April 18^th event," wrote firm Executive Director Nicholas J. Tortorella. "Now having been alerted to the situation, we have withdrawn permission for the event to take place at our offices."

CAIR issued a statement applauding the move. But that victory satisfaction is likely to be short lived, as the Middle East Forum on Thursday issued a second invitation for Spencer's talk. It takes place April 24 at a location in mid-town Manhattan not made public in advance, but provided only to participants.

"The serious and sober discussion of Islam stands at the heart of the Middle East Forum's mission," Pipes said. "Spencer has something important to say; how could we but reschedule his talk? I hope CAIR listens to his talk and learns from it when it is made public on www.MEForum.org."

The Forum's action reminds us that not all organizations are willing to surrender to Islamist intimidation. Bravo to it.

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