November 18, 2007 at 06:58:12

Denial of Due Process to Muslims Disgraces Us All

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By Katherine Hughes, Posted by Stephen Lendman (about the submitter) Page 5 of 6 page(s)

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51 See a New York Times article mentioned in the cross testimony of Susan Hutner, the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), which the defense cited as an example of information suggesting that humanitarian aid was exempt from the sanctions on Iraq. P. Lewis, "The Iraqi Invasion; U.N. Expected to Approve Iraq and Kuwait Trade Ban,"? New York Times, August 6th, 1990. Hutner stated that in an effort to educate the public, OFAC had contacted the press, the banking and oil industries and that she had given presentations to these industries. OFAC did not notify mosques and Hutner could not remember if she had taken any calls from mosques or Muslim charities. Susan Hutner's testimony O3-CR-64, volume XII, filed on January, 11, 2005. Executive order 13224, issued on September 23, 2001, changed the guidelines for humanitarian aid. For a more detailed description of the effects of these new regulations, see Al-Marayati, Easy Targets.

52 Mike McAndrew "Fund-Raiser for Iraq Now Helps Iranians: Man Involved in Help the Needy Case Urges People to Aid Earthquake Victims,"? Syracuse Post Standard, http://dontsmeardhafir.blogspot.com/2004/11/islamophobia-syracuse-post-standards.html

53 McGraw Video.

54 The government presented its case in minute detail, spending days and days following checks from bank to bank, followed by days and days of people from Dhafir's office verifying their signatures on Medicare forms. Because Dhafir had been bankrupted in the course of seeking justice, the defense was able to call one witness for 15 minutes. The defense lawyers felt that they had successfully defended the case using government witnesses. Having sat through almost all of the 17-week trial, I agree and do not understand the jury verdict. At the very least, the defense gave cause for reasonable doubt on each of the charges. There was a core group of about 12 court watchers, several of whom attended almost every day of the trial, who also felt the defense had successfully defended the case.

55 Dhafir was charged with only white-collar crime. In his sentencing statement, he said, "My computers were confiscated, my documents were seized, my bank records hid from me, my personal library was ransacked; books which have nothing to do with the allegations were taken. To this date I am denied to see for myself what was actually taken so that I can retrieve evidences that will refute all the allegations beyond the shadow of the doubt:"? http://www.dhafirtrial.net/about-dr-dhafir/dhafir-sentencing-statement/

56 See ACLU-CNY Chapter Statement on Dhafir Case, 10/28/05: click here http://www.cnyclu.org/issues.htm

57 See Naylor, Purses, p. 229

58 Hughes, Witness.

59 Department of Justice Examples of Terrorism Convictions Since Sept. 11, 2001: http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2006/June/06_crm_389.html

60 See J. Van Bergen, "How Government Forfeitures are Shutting Down U.S.-Based Muslim Charities: Going After Terrorism Financiers Is the Right Strategy, But the Law Needs Reform."? Findlaw, May 1, 2006: http://writ.news.findlaw.com/commentary/20060501_bergen.html. She discusses the fact that many forfeiture laws were reformed in 2000 because they have always been constitutionally and ethically problematic, but this was not the case with IEEPA.

61 Sentencing Memorandum Of The United States. Criminal Action No. 03-CR-64 (NAM), p.3 (Hereafter, Sentencing Memo.) That Dr. Dhafir followed the Salafi tradition did not play any part in the trial. However, during the proceedings the government did made the jury aware that Osama bin Laden was also a Salafi.

62 Sentencing Memorandum, p.3

63 To read the full statement go to, ACLU-CNY Chapter Statement on Dhafir Case, 10/28/05: http://www.cnyclu.org/issues.htm

64 This author attended the lecture. The other two Help the Needy prosecutor's, Michael Olmsted and Steve Green, also attended.

65 In July 2007, Jeff Breinholt joined the International Assessment Strategy Center (IASC) as a Senior Fellow and Director of National Security Law for a one-year assignment from the Department of Justice, National Security Division. Until June 2007, he served as Deputy Chief of the Counterterrorism Section at the U.S. Department of Justice: http://www.strategycenter.net/about/

66 Naylor, Purses, p. 333

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