FBI 'offered money to Hamas'

Further to yesterday's initial Associated Press reports quoted by the UK's Times newspaper, the BBC News today reports that:

The FBI secretly funnelled thousands of dollars to Palestinian militant group Hamas during the Clinton era in a bid to track terror funds, it has emerged. But the sting failed when the Americans' key player, Arizona businessman and Muslim convert Harry Ellen, fell out with his handlers, the Associated Press news agency reported.Admirers of Mr Ellen have accused the FBI of squandering a valuable chance to infiltrate Palestinian organisations. As a charity worker, he had been able to meet senior Hamas figures and also had personal access to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Details of Mr Allen's work emerged when he testified at a friend's immigration court proceedings. The FBI itself confirmed the aborted operation, according to the AP, saying it had acted with the permission of US Attorney General Janet Reno and had worked alongside Israeli intelligence. However, President Bill Clinton's National Security Adviser, Sandy Berger, has said the White House was not informed of the FBI's activities.

Whilst Mr Clinton was negotiating the Wye peace accords between Israel and the Palestinians in 1998, the FBI was asking Mr Ellen to provide money to Hamas during a trip to the Gaza Strip where he was due to convey doctors. According to AP, Mr Ellen also allowed the FBI to monitor his Muslim foundation's work in Gaza as well as bug his car, home and business back in Arizona. The businessman, who was aiding the FBI as far back as 1994, said later that he had agreed to work for them "not as a snitch but as a good American".


During his 1998 trip to Gaza, Mr Ellen told the court that he had handed over between $3,000 and $5,000 in FBI funds to prominent Hamas figure Ismail Abu Shanab, killed in an Israeli air strike earlier this year. Mr Ellen's charity work was aimed at helping poor Palestinians. His handler had told him that the money would be used by Hamas for "terrorist activities" but, in the event, Mr Shanab distributed it to Palestinian orphanages and health care facilities.
Mr Ellen testified that he had heard later of another FBI operative who offered Hamas larger amounts for "terrorist attacks". His co-operation with the FBI ended abruptly in 1999 after a series of disagreements which began when it criticised Mr Ellen for having an affair with a Chinese woman suspected of espionage. One supporter of Mr Ellen, former attorney Melvin McDonald, said the FBI had thrown away a valuable source of intelligence. "Harry had been a tremendous resource to the bureau," he said. "We did not have that many people like him with connections like that to the Middle East." The US declared Hamas a "terrorist organisation" in 1997. <snip>

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3170972.stm

Mmmmmmmmm...........Sounds like a key piece of counter-intelligence to me.......

Some repuke is gonna start screaming about how the fbi gave hamas money under clinton administration...not mentioning it was used to track funding, thus helping us beat terrorists.

and the 'Hamas money trail' ending up exposing Dumbo's personal protection rackets that got him into office in 2000...

the list of organizations that funnel money to Hamas is listed and have been listed for nearly a decade.

Why has thew US Media not used this story to praise Clinton and note his anti-terrorist efforts? Why are all the write ups all "sent money to Hamas" with "Clinton permission" - and then - end story.

Could it be we have a right wing media?

Could it be reposting this story at DU without noting the Clinton money laudering law that followed is "freeper like" - and such dumping/spin at DU is/should not be allowed?

:-)

"A key piece of counter-intelligence" ?????

Given all the other classic counter-intelligence news items of late (EG: "LBJ 'responsible' for JFK assasination"/"French assasin involved in JFK shooting", etc etc) I wouldn't put it past the repugs not to ratchet up the gears a little more as it gets closer to 2004.....

NB They didn't need to do that in 2000, because all it took was Lieberman publicly berating Clinton and teaming up with Gore who officially 'distanced' himself from big Bill.....Anything freeperish about that?

"all it took was Lieberman publicly berating Clinton and teaming up with Gore who officially 'distanced' himself from big Bill"

it took a 24/7/365 lying media - a biased selection of stories - and a USSC that sold it soul - in 2000

Lieberman did not help - but was a minor force.