The trial of Abdelhaleem Ashqar got underway in a Federal court in Chicago Thursday. Ashqar was a professor at Howard University in Washington DC until 2003 when the university refused to renew his contract. Ashqar is charged with funneling thousands of dollars to Hamas terrorists through a Mississippi bank account.
What's unusual about this case is that the money was funneled before the US designated Hamas a terrorist group in Jnauary 1995. The indictment lists no activities after March 1994 other than refusing to testify before grand juries. Ashqar is being charged under the Federal Racketeering laws (RICO), which are typically used against the Mafia or other organized crime. Ashqar's argument boils down to "if the government hadn't designated them a terrorist group, there's nothing wrong with sending them money." Continue reading....
What's unusual about this case is that the money was funneled before the US designated Hamas a terrorist group in Jnauary 1995. The indictment lists no activities after March 1994 other than refusing to testify before grand juries. Ashqar is being charged under the Federal Racketeering laws (RICO), which are typically used against the Mafia or other organized crime. Ashqar's argument boils down to "if the government hadn't designated them a terrorist group, there's nothing wrong with sending them money." Continue reading....
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