Reuters: US warns charities on any links to terror groups

[Eugene]

US warns charities on any links to terror groups

Sep 29, 2006 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury
Department warned charities on Friday to be sure they are not
even indirectly funding activities that build support for terrorist
organizations, making explicit reference to groups with Arab or
Islamic connections.

"The Treasury has maintained an open and robust dialogue with
the charitable community, notably the Arab-American and Islamic-
American community, on how to best safeguard charitable giving
from misuse by terrorists," the Treasury said in a statement.

In an annex to the guidelines, the department for the first time
cautioned that charitable activities could build public support
for terrorist groups, even if they don't channel funds to terrorist
organizations.

"Terrorist abuse also includes the exploitation of charitable
services and activities to radicalize vulnerable populations and
cultivate support for terrorist organizations and activities,"
the Treasury said.

-snip-

Full article: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2508524

[annabanana]

1. How about soup kitchens in Arabic neighborhoods?

Them too?

[Tempest]

4. Anyone Bush says

There's no legal definition on what constitutes a link thanks to the gutless Repugs.

[rodeodance]

2. or they will come and take you away!

[Marie26]

12. It's already beginning to be applied, IMO

(Larisa's Cousin) Jailed Under New Government Program -

Questions are being raised about the arrest, detention, and treatment of a long-term Ukrainian legal resident alien in Florida.

Bella Maryanovsky, a thirty-year legal resident of the United States, was arrested last week on Tuesday, September 19, when she entered immigration offices for a routine update of her green card papers. It appears she was arrested under a new immigration program called “Operation Return to Sender.”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2264166


Woman (from Herndon) Acused of Supporting Terrorists -

Zeinab Taleb-Jedi, 51, a resident of Herndon, Va., went to Iraq in 1999 to attend a training camp run by the Mujahedin-e Khalq, or MEK, the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles said in a statement.

MEK, also known as the People's Mujahedin of Iran, and its affiliates were deemed foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. State Department in 1997. The designations bar anyone in the United States from providing material support.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2537402

[IChing]

3. This is what Sen. Leahy warned about yesterday and today

AMY GOODMAN: You gave a very graphic example. You said, “Imagine you’re a law-abiding lawful permanent resident. In your spare time you do charitable fundraising for international relief agencies that lend a hand in disasters.” Take that story from there, the example you used.

SEN. PATRICK LEAHY:
You send money. You don’t care which particular religious group or civic group it is. They’re doing humanitarian work.
You send the money. It turns out that one of them is giving money to various Islamic causes that the United States is concerned about.
They come to your house. Maybe somebody has called into one of these anonymous tipster lines, saying,
“You know, this Amy Goodman. I’m somewhat worried about her, simply because she’s going -- and I think I’ve seen some Muslim-looking people coming to her house.
” They come in there, and they say, “We want to talk to you.” They bring you downtown.
You’re a legal alien, legal resident here. And you say, “Well, look, I’ve got my rights. I’d like to talk to a lawyer.”
They say, “No, no. You don’t have any rights.”
“Well, then I’m not going to talk to you.” “Well, then now we’re twice as concerned about you.
We’re going to spirit you down to Guantanamo, and we’ll get back to in a few years.”
And, I mean, that could actually happen under this.
And these are not far-fetched ideas, as the professor knows. He’s seen similar things.

And with that, and I would love to continue this conversation, unfortunately I’ve got to go back to my day job, back to the judiciary. I think this is going to go down as one of those black marks in the Congress. You know, I wasn’t there at the time, but virtually everybody voted for the Tonkin Gulf resolution. When I came to the Senate, you couldn’t find anybody there who thought that was a good idea. They knew it was a terrible mistake. You had members of congress supported the internment of the Japanese Americans during World War II. Everybody knows that was a terrible mistake now. That day will come when everybody will look at this and say, “What were we thinking?”

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/09/29/150254

[peacetalksforall]

5. What's the status of Norquist's partership with Mahmoud -

and his organization that is/was under investigation fro aiding the terrorists?

Mahmoud sp?

[RC]

Is giving money to the RNC aiding and abetting terrorists?

I would think so as the republican party is bent on destroying this country and everything it stands for.

[Marie26]

6. This is in response to the torture bill

Because ANY non-citizen who donated to a charity that indirectly funded an extremist group can now be declared an "enemy combatant" under the new law. He/she can be dragged into a gulag w/o a right to petition the court, or have a speedy trial, or invoke the protections of the Geneva Convention. They might even be planning such a raid in the near future. I am not kidding.

[LynnTheDem]

7. What's with your "any NON-CITIZEN"? The new "law" doesn't mention

citizenship whatsoever. It says ANY ONE.

That includes American citizens. Even white ones.

[ConcernedCanuk]

9. yeah, it seems a few on this board miss that "wee" distinction . .

.
.
.

So ya can figure what the general population knows . .

. . . SQUAT! . .

(sigh)

[Marie26]

11. On the contrary,

YOU have missed the distinction. This bill applies to aliens, not US citizens. That is the text of the legislation. That's why I don't understand why people are running around like chickens with their heads cut off about how the government is going to start locking them up. Unless you are a resident alien, you will not be subject to these military commissions under the current bill. Now, it's possible that the text was changed at the last minute from the published text, it's possible that Bush will try to use a signing statement to extend the reach of the commissions, and it's possible that a bill in the future could subject US citizens to these tribunals as well. But the bill, as written, does not allow US citizens to be prosecuted in these military tribunals. OK? It seems like people are almost disappointed to hear that, like they wanted to be afraid. This bill is horrible enough - it's not necessary to exaggerate it's effects.

[Marie26]

10. Of course it does

Have you read the bill? You do not seem to understand what this bill contains at all. The military commissions bill explicitly applies only to "alien enemy combatants," meaning people who are not US citizens.

Here's the actual law:

`Sec. 948c. Persons subject to military commissions

`Any alien unlawful enemy combatant engaged in hostilities or having supported hostilities against the United States is subject to trial by military commission as set forth in this chapter."

So who is considered an "alien" under this law, and potentially subject to the tribunals?

`Sec. 948a. Definitions

`In this chapter:

`(1) ALIEN- The term `alien' means an individual who is not a citizen of the United States."

Meaning, only alien, non-citizens, are subject to these military commissions - US citizens are not. OK? Now there is ambiguity, because a US citizen can apparently also be labeled as an "enemy combatant." But as written, these military commissions will only apply to ALIENS. Hope this helps.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c109:1:./temp/~c109GhAjas::

[Truthiness Inspector]

13. I think your post should be its own thread

There does seem to be a lot of confusion about this, and I count myself amongst the confused.

[The Stranger]

8. They're not supposed to think that there is a war declared against them.

Even though there is a war declared against them.

Or let others think that the war that is declared against them is the war that is declared against them.

The best mindfuck yet.