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 For Immediate Release
Dec 4, 2001 Contact: Press Office
202-646-5172
BUSH ADMINISTRATION FINALLY ACTS TO FREEZE ASSETS OF MILITANT HAMAS SUPPORT GROUPS OPERATING IN THE UNITED STATES

Judicial Watch Complaint of September 20, 2001 Identified “Charity Foundation” As Hamas Terrorist Front Group Operating In Texas


(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes government abuse and corruption, congratulated President Bush on his belated decision to freeze the assets of radical Islamic foundations operating in the United States that support the Hamas terrorist organization. President Bush’s decision was delayed as a result of pressure from Secretary Colin Powell’s State Department to not take action against Yasser Arafat’s supporters.

President Bush’s belated decision comes nearly two and one-half months after Judicial Watch identified and documented the organizations’ criminal support of terrorist activity to President Bush, Attorney General Ashcroft, Treasury Secretary O’Neill, Internal Revenue Commissioner Rossotti, and Assistant Attorney General Chertoff of the Criminal Division of the Justice Department. A copy of Judicial Watch’s September 20, 2001 complaint letter is available on the Internet at www.JudicialWatch.org. Specifically, Judicial Watch identified the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development of Richardson, Texas (formerly the Occupied Land Fund) as a “charity” supporting Hamas. The Holy Land Foundation provides annuities to the families of Hamas suicide bombers, and has accepted donations of over $200,000 from Mousa Abu Marzook, a person designated as a terrorist by the U.S. government. Judicial Watch also identified the Islamic African Relief Agency of Columbia, Missouri for its reported supporting role in Osama bin-Laden’s bombing of the U.S. Embassies in both Kenya and Tanzania on August 8, 1998.

“It is clear that the Bush Administration is responding to pressure in light of the horrific suicide bombings in Israel this past weekend, but there are nineteen additional organizations Judicial Watch has identified for the Bush Administration, and we certainly hope it does not take additional bombings for the Bush Administration to order swift, strong action against them, as well,” stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman.

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