Benevolence International Foundation
Abbreviation | BIF |
---|---|
Formation | 1987 |
Defunct | 1994 |
Purpose | Nonprofit used as a front for terrorism |
The Benevolence International Foundation (Benevolence International Fund in
The nonprofit was founded in 1987 by
A list of the 20 main financiers of Al-Qaeda, composed by
History
The Islamic Benevolence Committee ( Lajnat al-Birr al-Islamiah) was founded in 1987 by
Another organization, the Benevolence International Corporation, is said to have been started in 1988 by
In 1992 the Benevolence International Corporation (BIC) in the
On June 15, 1994, US Ambassador Melissa F. Wells visited the BIF headquarters on an envoy from President Bill Clinton, met with Ma'moun Muhammad al-Hasan Bilou, and "praised BIF and its efforts to provide humanitarian relief".[8]
In late 1994, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa travelled to the United States to meet with
Prosecution
Khalifa and Bayazid were arrested in
The U.S. Government alleged that the group sent money and communications to Osama Bin Laden and purchased rockets, mortars, rifles, bayonets, dynamite and other bombs for Al-Qaeda members in Chechnya, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, and redirected funds meant for charity purposes to purposes related to terrorism. The U.S. government also alleged that the group was aiding the travel of terrorists, including Khalifa, Bayazid, and al-Qaeda co-founder Mamdouh Salim. In addition, it was also coordinating the escape of BIF members from Bosnian police.
During a sentencing hearing in August 2003, U.S. District Judge Suzanne Conlon told prosecutors they had "failed to connect the dots" and said there was no evidence that Arnaout "identified with or supported" terrorism.[9]
These allegations were withdrawn as part of a February 2003 plea bargain in which Enaam Arnaout pleaded guilty to racketeering charges. The plea bargain allowed for him to provide information to prosecutors as long as charges that are related to Al-Qaeda are dropped. He publicly denies any link to the group.
A 2011
References
- ^ a b c d Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) concerning Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities Archived 2020-02-25 at the Wayback Machine QDe.093 BENEVOLENCE INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION|
- ^ a b "Treasury designates Benevolence International Foundation and related entities as financiers of terrorism". US Department of the Treasury. 2002-11-19. Archived from the original on 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ^ "New Sentence for Charity Director" Archived 2018-07-20 at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, February 18, 2006
- ^ "U.S. Treasury designates two individuals with ties to al Qaida, UBL former BIF leader and al-Qaida associate named under E.O. 13224". US Department of the Treasury. 2004-12-21. Archived from the original on 2012-07-06. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ISBN 9781929223718. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
helping those afflicted by wars. BIF first provides short-term relief such as emergency food distribution.
- ^ Matthew Levitt's Testimony Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and Homeland Security, 10 September 2003
- ^ "Treasury Designates Benevolence International Foundation and Related Entities as Financiers of Terrorism". www.treasury.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-05-28. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Patrick J. United States of America v. Enaam M. Arnaout, "Governments Evidentiary Proffer Supporting the Admissibility of Co-Conspirator Statements Archived 2004-08-05 at the Wayback Machine", before Hon. Suzanne B. Conlon
- ^ Few convictions on terror since 9/11: Most arrested not linked to extremists Archived 2017-10-10 at the Wayback Machine, The Washington Post, June 12, 2005
- ^ DATA & GRAPHICS: Population Of The Communications Management Units Archived 2011-03-07 at the Wayback Machine, Margot Williams and Alyson Hurt, NPR, 3-3-11, retrieved 2011 03 04 from npr.org
Further reading
- Müller, Sebastian R. (2006). Hawala An Informal Payment System and Its Use to Finance Terrorism. VDM, Müller. ISBN 978-3-86550-656-6.
External links
- Indictment of Arnaout in 2002, archive at the US Justice Department