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Strategies & Market Trends : Banned.......Replies to the A@P thread. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Janice Shell who wrote (3411)	4/1/2005 4:03:58 AM
From: ravenseye	Respond to of 5425

Three Brothers on Trial for Aiding Hamas Friday April 1, 2005 3:16 AM By DAVID KOENIG Associated Press Writer DALLAS (AP) - Three brothers went on trial Thursday on charges of aiding terrorists by funneling money to a high-ranking official in the militant Palestinian group Hamas. Prosecutor James T. Jacks said the men tried to hide a $250,000 investment from the political official - who was declared a terrorist by the U.S. government in 1995 - in the brothers' computer company by making it look as if it came from the Hamas official's wife. Ghassan, Basman and Bayan Elashi face 21 counts of conspiracy, money laundering and dealing in the property of a terrorist. The three men, plus two of their brothers, were arrested in December 2002. Then-Attorney General John Ashcroft said the arrests showed authorities would prosecute terrorists and ``the terrorist supporters who write the check.' All five were convicted in July on charges of making illegal computer shipments to Libya and Syria, countries that the U.S. government had declared state sponsors of terrorism. Four are in custody; Ghassan Elashi is free pending sentencing. The brothers were also involved in a Muslim charity that was raided and closed in December 2001 by federal agents, who accused the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development of being a funding arm of Hamas. President Bush announced the action against the charity. In the current case, Mousa Abu Marzook, the political official in Hamas, and his wife, Nadia, who is a cousin of the Elashis, were also indicted but never arrested. Authorities believe Marzook is in Syria. Prosecutors allege Marzook invested $250,000 in the Elashis' computer business, InfoCom Corp., by early 1993 in exchange for 40 percent of the company's future profits. Jacks said the arrangement was threatened when the U.S. government declared Marzook a terrorist in 1995, making it illegal to hold his assets. Jacks said that led Marzook and the Elashis to rework their deal and send future payments instead to Marzook's wife. Defense attorneys argued there was no sinister motive to Marzook's investment in the computer company. Michael P. Gibson said Marzook relinquished any claim on proceeds from the investment. ``There was not a crime in this transaction,' Gibson said. guardian.co.uk