| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Home Front | |
| Affidavit claims mosque leader helped finance Portland Seven | |
| 2003-08-25 | |
A man charged with trying to fight U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan was secretly recorded saying that the leader of Portland’s largest mosque funded the overseas trip with money that came from mosque members, according to a newly released FBI affidavit. Jeffrey Battle, a member of the so-called Portland Seven, also was secretly recorded telling how Mohamed Abdirahman Kariye, religious leader of the Islamic Center of Portland, participated in a prayer session at the mosque with the group just before the men left. No charges have been filed against Kariye, who is on probation for federal fraud charges he admitted to earlier this year.
He’ll have plenty of time to contemplate his relationship with God in the slammer. Six men were indicted on charges they traveled to China in October 2001 in a failed effort to reach Afghanistan to fight U.S. troops. One remains a fugitive; another, Maher "Mike" Hawash, recently pleaded guilty and is cooperating with authorities. One woman was indicted on charges she helped fund the trip. Prosecutors and investigators have long suspected that a larger group was behind the efforts of the Portland Seven. The affidavit by Portland FBI agent Mark McBryde made public Friday relies heavily on excerpts from recorded conversations between a government informant and two defendants. Most excerpts come from Battle, who defense attorneys have said in court filings was boasting and exaggerating when talking to the informant. "He was, er, lying. Yeah, that’s it, lies, all lies!" The affidavit said Battle described the Portland mosque as "the only mosque to teach about jihad" and that Kariye told his followers they should fight with other Muslims in Afghanistan against Americans. Battle said he had "talked to Kariye about jihad," the affidavit said. Another defendant, Patrice Lumumba Ford, told the informant that Kariye "has spoken out very strongly for jihad," the affidavit said. Battle also described how the trip was financed. He told the informant that Habis Al Saoub, a Jordanian who remains a fugitive, "approached Kariye regarding financing for the trip by the jihadists." Battle said Kariye gave Al Saoub $2,000 for each of the men and the money was acquired from members of the mosque. Later, after his arrest, Battle told investigators that he got $2,000 from Al Saoub, and he believed the money came from "brothers" at the Portland mosque. Got them on tape, and Hawash has flipped. | |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 Time to audit the mosque. |
| Posted by: mhw 2003-8-25 1:04:26 PM |
| #2 In the US you can preach jihad in your mosque, avail yourself of a drive-through on the commute home in time to enjoy your favorite syndicated episode of Melrose Place on cable. No TOW missiles through the rear window for our malcontents. Our revolutionaries, radicals and extrememists even enjoy a Slurpie now and then. |
| Posted by: Steve D 2003-8-25 12:22:12 PM |
| #1 saw on LGF yesterday that the Indymedia Jerusalem islamic web site is threatening Hawash with Dire Revenge™ should he spill his guts with all he knows - how can this be? We were all assured by the usual suspects (CAIR, et al) that he was pure as the driven snow! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-8-25 11:45:26 AM |