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| U.S. Detains Prominent Muslim Activist For Libya Visits |
| 2003-09-30 |
| A few more details, more later today after his hearing. EFL: A prominent U.S. Muslim political activist has been arrested for making unauthorized trips to Libya and violating sanctions Washington had imposed on the Arab country, according to newly released court documents Monday, September 30. Adurahman Alamoudi made a brief appearance at the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, one day after he was arrested at Dulles International Airport upon his return from an extended overseas trip. "He received, transferred and otherwise dealt in, funds from the Libyan permanent mission at the United Nations, an instrumentality of the government of Libya," Brett Gentrup, a special agent of the U.S. immigration service, was quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP) as summarizing the charges before the judge. Al-Amoudi was specifically charged with violating the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, which prohibits U.S. citizens from visiting Libya without special approval. He was also charged with violating a portion of the act that forbids U.S. citizens from receiving money from Libya. According to the affidavit, al-Amoudi made at least 10 trips to Libya using two American and one Yemeni passport. âThe stamps indicate al-Amoudi has been traveling to and from Libya regularly since May 2002 through July 2003 with the length of stay averaging approximately five days," said the affidavit. Multiple passports being SOP for muslim "activists". It said British customs officials stopped al-Amoudi at Heathrow Airport last month when he was attempting to travel to Damascus, Syria. Syria, huh? Theyâve been in the news quite often lately. They found and seized about $340,000 and questioned him. During the questioning, al-Amoudi explained to British investigators that he had received the money from a man "with a Libyan accent" and, in order to avoid U.S. Customs, was planning to deposit it in Saudi banks and then "feed it back" into the United States in smaller amounts. I do believe thatâs against the law as well. âHe also recalled a 1997 conversation with a Libyan ambassador to the United Nations, who (allegedly) expressed readiness to pay al-Amoudi a commission if he succeeded to win release of some of the Libyan funds frozen in the wake of the Lockerbie bombing.â That would make him a unreported lobbyist, also illegal. The affidavit claimed that al-Amoudi received funding from the Libyan mission at the United Nations, some of which was in connection with some of his trips to Libya. It said that law enforcement officials raided al-Amoudiâs house in Virginia in March as part of an investigation into financing of âterrorist groupsâ. Al-Amoudi was a visible player on the Washington political scene, as he has been received at the White House more than once and lavishly contributed to various politicians during the 2000 election campaign. All of whom gave the money back, except for former Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. U.S. citizens are banned from any financial dealings or travel to Libya under sanctions imposed by former President Ronald Reagan in 1986 in response to bombings in Rome and Vienna, in which the North African nation was accused of playing a role. Earlier this month, the United Nations lifted sanctions slapped on Libya in the wake of a 1988 bombing of a Pan American airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland. But the administration of President George W. Bush has kept the U.S. penalties in place. Looks like those sanctions wonât be coming off anytime soon. The probe has uncovered that in addition to his U.S. passport, al-Amoudi, a naturalized U.S. citizen since 1996, had a Yemeni travel document, which he used for flights to Tripoli. Naughty, naughty. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 Is anyone else getting fed up w/dual passport holders? You are or you aren't. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-9-30 12:10:33 PM |
| #2 Do we get to burn his citizenship documents now? Or do we staple them to his forhead as we throw him out of a plane over Libya? |
| Posted by: Charles 2003-9-30 11:35:37 AM |
| #1 Sounds like he's violated his naturalization oaths, along with committing multiple crimes. Squeeze everything he has out and deport him to Yemen - at 25,000 feet. Asshole's a Hamas, Hezbollah, Syrian, and Libyan supporter...maybe the Israelis would like a shot at him? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-9-30 10:34:24 AM |