- Al-Haramain Foundation
Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation was a charity foundation, based in Saudi Arabia, alleged to be a front for the international terrorist organization
al-Qaeda . Although all charges were dropped by a federal judge, it is now banned worldwide byUnited Nations Security Council Committee 1267 [http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/committees/1267/tablelist.htm UN list of affiliates of al-Qaeda and the Taliban] ] .The
Office of Foreign Assets Control of theUnited States Department of the Treasury had already banned various branches of this organization at various times, including the US branch on 9 September 2004 [http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/js1895.htm U.S.-Based Branch of Al Haramain Foundation Linked to Terror] , press release, US Department of the Treasury, 9 September 2004] . Under various names it had branches inAfghanistan ,Albania ,Bangladesh ,Bosnia and Herzegovina ,Comoros ,Ethiopia ,Indonesia ,Kenya ,the Netherlands ,Nigeria ,Pakistan ,Somalia ,Tanzania , and theUSA .c]The American branches of this foundation were in
Ashland, Oregon andSpringfield, Missouri . Two directors of those branches, Suliman Al-Buthe (سليمان البوثي) and Aqeel Abdul Aziz Al-Aqil (قيل عبد العزيز العقيل), are now personally embargoed worldwide by the UN.c]Guantanamo detainees alleged to have ties to al Haramain
The
United States has held several suspects in theWar on Terrorism on the grounds that they had worked for or volunteered for the Al-Haramain Foundation:The U.S. branch of Al Haramain
The U.S. branch of Al-Haramain Foundation filed a lawsuit on February 28, 2006.cite news
url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/01/AR2006030102585.html?nav=most_emailed
title=Saudi Group Alleges Wiretapping by U.S.: Defunct Charity's Suit Details Eavesdropping
publisher=Washington Post
date=March 2, 2006] The suit asserted that the Bush administration had circumvented theUS Constitution by authorizing warrantless wiretaps. They asserted that the President lacked the authority to authorize wiretaps that circumvented theForeign Intelligence Surveillance Act .Three individuals whose conversations were intercepted,
Suliman al-Buthe ,Wendell Belew andAsim Ghafoor , learned of the eavesdropping when U.S. officials accidentally delivered logs of phone calls to them. Al-Buthe, who had been the Foundations U.S. director, moved back to Saudi Arabia. Belew and Ghafoor were two of the Foundation's U.S. lawyers.Tom Nelson , another Foundation lawyer, filed the lawsuit.Court records show he filed a motion to place the relevant material under seal.References
External links
* [http://www.saudiembassy.net/Index.asp Foreign Affairs ministry reports on status of Al-Haramain Foundation] , "
Saudi Embassy, Washington DC ", May 5, 2003
* [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/07/terror/main621621.shtml Al Qaeda Skimming Charity Money] , "CBS News ", June 7, 2004
* [http://www.treasury.gov/offices/enforcement/key-issues/protecting/fto.shtml Designated Charities and Potential Fundraising Front Organizations for FTOs] , "US Treasury"
* [http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2007/07/haramain_appeal NSA Snooped on Lawyers Knowing Spying Was Illegal] , "Wired", July 10, 2007
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