• Airplane Terrorism Case Prompts Quesitons About the Work of Islamic Charities New York Times Aug. 24, 2006
• British Study Charitable Organization for Links to Plot New York Times Aug. 25, 2006

When Mercy Corps and other Western aid agencies reached this devastated village on the front line of the battle between Israel and Hezbollah with food and medicine, they quickly discovered they had a big problem: the United States. Like all other international relief agencies here that receive financing from the American government, Mercy Corps is barred from giving out money or aid through Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group that is considered a terrorist organization by the United States. But as with all the most demolished areas in southern Lebanon, where whole villages have been flattened by Israeli bombs and there is no food, water or electricity, this village is the domain of Hezbollah — and little seems to bypass the group. That fact is nettlesome for the United States, not merely because it does not want Hezbollah to be strengthened even further after its war with Israel, but because it is eager to find and support a viable alternative to the militant group.

British and Pakistani investigators are trying to determine whether the group of Britons suspected of plotting to blow up as many as 10 commercial airliners may have received money raised for earthquake relief by a Pakistani charity that is a front for an Islamic militant group. The charity, Jamaat ud Dawa, which is active in the mosques of Britain’s largest cities, played a significant role in carrying out relief efforts after last October’s earthquake in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. It is one of the most militant of the groups battling the part of Kashmir controlled by India. In May, it was labeled a terrorist organization by the United States government.

From the Washington Post:

The problem, according to relief groups, is that many people who are inclined to write checks for emergency aid and reconstruction in Lebanon are afraid of ending up in some government database of suspected supporters of terrorism.

[...] Arab American leaders say this is one of the unintended consequences of the U.S. government's crackdown on charities run by Muslims. Though aimed at cutting off illicit funding for terrorist groups, the crackdown has complicated legitimate humanitarian relief efforts in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank.

The Bush administration took steps Thursday to financially incapacitate branches of a Saudi-based Islamic charity and one of its high-ranking officials for allegedly helping al-Qaida bankroll terrorist acts.

The Treasury Department's action is directed at the Philippine and Indonesian offices of the International Islamic Relief Organization. The charity has operations in more than 20 countries in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the department said.

For more on the story, click here.

Posted by Jennifer Lowe, 01:26:19 PM

Thursday, August 03, 2006