On September 20, 2001, as the dust was just settling from Ground Zero, Judicial Watch called upon the Bush Administration to take aggressive action against non-profit front groups that support and fund terrorists. In fact, JW identified 20 such organizations that were based in the United States. Despite some progress, nearly 18 months later the problem has yet to be solved. Judicial Watch held a press conference on March 5, 2003 to reveal non-profit organizations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, where JW has a Southwestern Regional Headquarters, that are still funding terrorist activity.

"While the Bush Administration continues to focus on al Qaeda cells around the world, it cannot afford to ignore terrorist activities at home," said JW Chairman Larry Klayman. "In response to the U.S. government’s failure to protect the American people, Judicial Watch will continue to unmask domestic terrorists and bring them to justice."

Both the Clinton and Bush Administrations have been slow to target terrorist funding. For example, among the groups originally identified by Judicial Watch as an enemy to the United States was the Texas-based Holy Land Foundation. The U.S. government has investigated the group since 1996. Yet despite the overwhelming evidence accumulated by the Clinton Administration, the group was allowed to continue its operations. It was not until Hamas bombers murdered 25 Israelis with the alleged support of Hamas eight weeks after JW’s public pleas in September 2001 that President Bush finally took action and froze the organization’s assets.

"We want to make sure it doesn’t take another tragedy for the government to be spurred into action," continued Klayman.

Judicial Watch has been extremely active in targeting the funds that make the terrorist operations tick. Even before September 11, Judicial Watch represented FBI Agent Robert Wright, the only agent in the history of the FBI to have used the civil forfeiture laws to seize over $1.4 million in Hamas terrorist funds. Agent Wright tried to pressure the FBI to pursue terrorist operations, but met with obstruction, negligence and interference on the part of his superiors and FBI headquarters.

JW’s Terrorism Task Force project is spearheaded by John Vincent, a recently retired 27-year veteran Special Agent and Counterterrorism Expert for the FBI and Russell Verney, Director of JW’s Southwestern Regional headquarters.