[Marxism] U.S. govt hypocrisy in indictment of Holy Land Foundation

[Brian Shannon <Brian_Shannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Whether it is 3 billion a year (the most conservative estimates) or 5-7
billion a year, it is the government of the United States that is
funding the expansion of settlements on the West Bank. It is this
expansion--declared illegal by all the nations of the world--that the
Palestinians are resisting. Their actions take place against an armed
force that seizes land for settlement, subsidizes right-wing settlers,
and kills and destroys all those who resist.

from Brian Shannon

WASHINGTON, July 27 - Five former leaders of the Holy Land Foundation,
once the biggest Islamic charity in the United States, were arrested
Tuesday on charges that they funneled $12.4 million to Palestinian
terrorists. But two other charity officials wanted by the government
were able to leave the country recently for the Middle East while they
were under criminal investigation.
Law enforcement officials said the arrests represented one of their
most important efforts since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to stem the
flow of money to terrorists from the United States. Holy Land exploited
American tax laws "to bankroll terror," said Michael J. Garcia, an
assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security.
Lawyers for Holy Land promised to fight the charges vigorously,
accusing the F.B.I. of fabricating evidence. They said the group had
supported orphans, medical relief and other charitable causes in the
Middle East and never knowingly gave money to Hamas, a Palestinian
terrorist group, or any other organization promoting violence.
"These arrests are a sound bite for this administration in its war on
terrorism," said John Boyd, a lawyer for Holy Land. "This is completely
unfounded, and if the Holy Land Foundation is given an opportunity to
defend itself, it will be able to rebut every charge made in this
indictment."
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/28/politics/28terror.html


There weren't any surprises in the foreign-aid bill Congress passed
last week, least of all in the appropriation the U.S. handed Israel:
more than 17 percent of the entire foreign-aid expenditure, $2.7
billion. That's on top of the $2.5 billion in military support from the
defense budget, forgiven loans, and special grants the tiny state rakes
in each year. Up to 80 percent of this aid never leaves the U.S.,
because it's earmarked for arms purchases that must be made here.
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0152/solomon.php
___________

AN IMPORTANT SITE FOR INFORMATION ON THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION OF THE WEST
BANK,
SINCE IT ITSELF SUPPORTS THE FORMATION OF  THE STATE OF ISRAEL
Established in 1979 by the late Merle Thorpe, Jr., the Foundation is
dedicated to promoting, through various activities, a just solution to
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that brings peace and security to both
people

The growth in the total settler population in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip:
1972: 1,500
1983: 29,090
1992: 109,784
2001: 213,672

The growth in the total settler population in East Jerusalem:
1972: 6,900
1992: 141,000
2000: 170,400
http://www.fmep.org/reports/2002/sr0203.html

http://www.fmep.org/database/westbank.html


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