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CNN Live At Daybreak

Info on Federal Government's Accusations of Terrorism Ties Against One of Largest Muslim Charities in U.S.

Aired May 01, 2002 - 05:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And let's get more now on the federal government's accusations of terrorism ties against one of the largest Muslim charities in the United States.

As CNN's Allan Dodds Frank reports, the government alleges the charity provided money and more to the al Qaeda terrorist network.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN DODDS FRANK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Benevolence International Foundation and its executive director are being charged with perjury for allegedly lying about providing financial and logistical support to Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: The complaint, which was filed today, alleges that al Qaeda has an established practice of using charities for terrorist purposes and that that executive director, a Mr. Arnaout, has ties to bin Laden, including being trusted with the care of one of bin Laden's wives in Pakistan in 1989.

DODDS FRANK: The foundation and its director insist they are not guilty.

MATTHEW PIERS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: We strongly believe that now that we will finally have a chance to see some evidence and meet some evidence, that both Benevolence International Foundation and Mr. Arnaout will be found not guilty.

DODDS FRANK: The government laid out a series of alleged connections between Benevolence and known al Qaeda operatives. The government says one of them, Mamdouh Salim, tried to obtain chemical and nuclear weapons for al Qaeda. He has pleaded guilty to attempted murder of a corrections officer while in custody in New York. Today's court documents say that Benevolence aided Salim in his 1998 travels.

PATRICK FITZGERALD, U.S. ATTORNEY: When he traveled to Bosnia, he traveled on a visa arranged by Benevolence International Foundation and Arnaout. His hotel was paid for by Benevolence International Foundation. And in documents signed in the name of Enaam Arnaout, it was indicated that Salim was a director of Benevolence International Foundation. DODDS FRANK: Among the other al Qaeda operatives allegedly aided by Benevolence, Wali Kahn Amin-Shah (ph), a key participant in al Qaeda plots to bomb 12 airliners and to assassinate the pope. Operating from Illinois and New Jersey, the 10-year-old foundation had become one of the biggest U.S.-based Muslim charities. According to its Web site, it has operations in hot spots that include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Pakistan.

Allan Dodds Frank, CNN Financial News, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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