DALLAS – Defense attorneys for five men accused of illegally routing millions of dollars to Hamas rested their case Thursday after hearing from a former diplomat who questioned government claims that a series of Palestinian charities were controlled by the terrorist group.
Edward Abington, a former consul general at the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, said he met with members of the charities, known as zakat committees, in Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Gaza from 1993-97. Though he was briefed by U.S. government officials, he was never told of any Hamas connection.
Abington said his office received "very strict instructions" from the U.S. government that consulate officials were not to have any interaction with Hamas. But "I had no information as consul general that Hamas controlled any zakat committees," he said. There was no official policy restricting communication with the committees.
That assertion is at odds with the heart of the government's case – that the men, in running the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) routed millions of dollars to Hamas through the committees. But under cross examination, Abington acknowledged he was unaware of information being gathered by criminal investigators and even the Palestinian Authority. Earlier in the trial, prosecutors presented a former HLF fundraiser who told jurors he was certain his donations to HLF would help Hamas. Read more ...
Edward Abington, a former consul general at the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, said he met with members of the charities, known as zakat committees, in Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Gaza from 1993-97. Though he was briefed by U.S. government officials, he was never told of any Hamas connection.
Abington said his office received "very strict instructions" from the U.S. government that consulate officials were not to have any interaction with Hamas. But "I had no information as consul general that Hamas controlled any zakat committees," he said. There was no official policy restricting communication with the committees.
That assertion is at odds with the heart of the government's case – that the men, in running the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) routed millions of dollars to Hamas through the committees. But under cross examination, Abington acknowledged he was unaware of information being gathered by criminal investigators and even the Palestinian Authority. Earlier in the trial, prosecutors presented a former HLF fundraiser who told jurors he was certain his donations to HLF would help Hamas. Read more ...
Source: IPT News
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