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Muslim activist pleads not guilty to charges of dealings with Libya
From Terry Frieden
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (CNN) -- A prominent member of the American Muslim community under investigation for possible financial support to terrorist groups pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he had prohibited dealings with Libya, including accepting $340,000 in cash from the Libyan government. Abdurahman Alamoudi, 51, a naturalized American citizen and founder of the American Muslim Foundation, could face a lengthy prison sentence and revocation of his U.S. citizenship if convicted. Dozens of Alamoudi's supporters packed an Alexandria, Virginia, courtroom to hear Alamoudi's defense counsel, Stanley Cohen, enter a not guilty plea and request a jury trial. U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton set the trial for February 16. Alamoudi was arrested last month as he returned to the United States at Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia. According to the indictment, he received $340,000 in cash in a briefcase that was delivered to him August 13 at his hotel in London, money that came from the Islamic Call Society, a branch of the Libyan government. He then sought to transfer the money to the United States, the indictment alleges. The indictment also alleges he traveled to Libya but lied to Department of Homeland Security officials about the trip. Alamoudi has been under investigation for some time as part of a broad probe into a series of Muslim charities and groups, mostly in the northern Virginia area, officials have said. Investigators have been looking into whether these groups' funds may have ended up in the coffers of terrorism organizations. Dressed in a green prisoner jumpsuit, Alamoudi did not speak during Wednesday's court appearance. At the detention hearing that followed, Hilton ruled Alamoudi must remain in custody pending trial. Alamoudi's sobbing wife collapsed into the arms of her children as supporters milled about inside and outside the federal courthouse. Representatives of virtually all major Muslim and Arab groups in the Washington, D.C. area expressed disappointment after the hearing. Other supporters said Alamoudi has long represented a moderate pro-U.S. voice in the Muslim community, and had withstood criticism from more radical elements in the community. Some long-time backers at Wednesday's hearing charged the government with a double standard under which only Arabs and Muslims are detained while awaiting trial on charges for non-violent crimes. Alamoudi has not, however, avoided controversy. Court documents filed last week supporting the government's argument against Alamoudi's release allege that he has ties to the militant Islamic group Hamas and worked with Osama bin Laden's nephew. Hamas, a Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist organization, has been labeled by the U.S. State Department as a terrorist organization. The group's military wing, Izzedine al Qassam, has admitted responsibility for terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians as well as attacks against the Israeli military. Alamoudi has not backed away from Hamas ties. At an October 2000 rally, he told the crowd, "Anybody is a supporter of Hamas here.We are all supporters of Hamas. ... I wish they added I am also a supporter of Hezbollah." Defendant faces 18-count indictmentJustice Department officials did not comment after the hearing. However, court documents also portrayed Alamoudi as an extremely wealthy man, allegedly receiving more than $2.1 million in his personal bank accounts from 1996 to 2002. None of that money was reported on tax returns. "Those who cozy up with state sponsors of terrorism will not be tolerated," said Paul McNulty, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. "Today's indictment demonstrates our commitment to prosecute those who take secret money from state sponsors of terrorism. The 18-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury Thursday alleges Alamoudi, from November 1995 to September 2003, devised a scheme to obtain money from Libya and other sources overseas without the U.S. government picking up on the activity. The charges include money laundering, making false statements and prohibited financial transactions with a state sponsor of terror, Libya. Besides serving as president of the American Muslim Foundation, Alamoudi is the founder of the American Muslim Council and a founder of the American Muslim Armed Forces and Veteran Affairs Council -- which is authorized to evaluate Muslim candidates for chaplain positions in the U.S. military. In addition, the court documents say he served as the vice president of Taibah International Aid Association, which was founded in part by a nephew of bin Laden, Abdullah bin Laden. In court, attorney Stanley Cohen blasted the government for including bin Laden's name in the document. "The government does not bother to say Osama bin Laden has many nephews, and this one happens to be the son of the brother who cooperated with authorities and provided samples for DNA testing," Cohen said. The court documents also allege Alamoudi sent thousands of dollars to the Holy Land Foundation in the Middle East, funds that were then diverted to Hamas.
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