- Charitable Society for Social Welfare
-
The Charitable Society
for Social WelfareAbbreviation CSSW Leader Abdul Majeed al-Zindani 
Anwar al-Awlaki
The Charitable Society for Social Welfare (CSSW) was founded by Abdul Majeed al-Zindani, whom the US Treasury Department identified as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist", citing his "long history of working with bin Laden" (and whose name also appears on the UN 1267 Committee's list of individuals belonging to or associated with Al-Qaida).[1]
During a terrorism trial, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent Brian Murphy testified that CSSW was a “front organization to funnel money to terrorists,” and US federal prosecutors have described it as being used to support Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.[1][2]
In 1998 and 1999 in San Diego, Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki served as Vice President for CSSW.[1] Al-Awlaki would later be suspected of radicalizing Major Nidal Hasan before his 2009 attack on Fort Hood, and reportedly blessed and participated in planning and training for the Al-Qaeda sponsored attempt to blow up an airliner Christmas Day 2009 in Detroit.[3]
In July 2004 Numan Maflahi, a Yemeni-born U.S. citizen, was sentenced to the maximum of five years in prison for lying to FBI agents about his ties to a Yemeni sheik who prosecutors say raised money for al-Qaida through CSSW . He told agents that he had limited contact with Sheik Abdullah Satar and no involvement in Satar’s fund raising for al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden. But prosecutors said Maflahi “spent almost every waking hour” with Satar during a 1999 trip to New York, arranging his speaking engagements at mosques, driving him to appointments, and helping collect and hold money. After Satar left Brooklyn, he continued raising money in Italy, where he met with Al Qaeda's top operative in that country, according to court papers.[4] “The proof here is overwhelming that the defendant was lying about facts relevant to the investigation of a federal crime of terrorism,” U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon said.[5]
References
- ^ a b c Schmidt, Susan; Imam From Va. Mosque Now Thought to Have Aided Al-Qaeda; the Washington Post, February 27, 2008. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
- ^ Hays, Tom, "FBI Eyes NYC ‘Charity’ in Terror Probe," Associated Press, February 26, 2004. Retrieved November 11, 2009.
- ^ "Pentagon: Be bold, brave, blunt Augusta Chronicle Editorial Staff January 4, 2010". Chronicle.augusta.com. January 4, 2010. http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2010/01/04/edi_561839.shtml. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
- ^ Marzulli, John, "5 Yrs. in Probe Lies Aide to Cleric Hit with Max," New York Daily News, July 10, 2004, accessed December 9, 2009
- ^ Man who lied to FBI in terror probe gets jail", Associated Press, July 9, 2004, accessed December 9, 2009
External links
- Terrorism and Money Laundering: Illegal Purposes and Activities, Bjorklund, Victoria B.; Reynoso, Jenni I.; Hazlett, Abbey, 25 Pace L. Rev. 233 (2004–05)
- Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad, Matthew Levitt, Dennis Ross, Yale University Press, 2007, ISBN 0300122586, 9780300122589
Categories:- Front organizations
- Covert organizations
- Charities
- Funding of terrorism
- Islamist groups
- Al-Qaeda
- Anwar al-Awlaki
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