Debbie Schlussel: Desperate But Not Serious: Why the Feds Aren't Serious About Hezbollah's Restaurateur
Since last week, a debate that shouldn't be happening is.
The Hezbollah restaurateur, Talal Chahine--owner of the La Shish restaurant chain--was a keynote speaker along with the spiritual leader of Hezbollah (Sheikh Mohammed Fadlallah) at a Hezbollah event. But he and the predictable Islamo-fascists, CAIR's Dawud Walid and "former" terrorist Imad Hamad, claim there's no evidence he's connected with terrorists.
Puh-leeze.
Chahine admittedly gave money to the group for "orphans." Missing words: "Of the martyrs." Whether or not he knew where the money was really going--and you have to be a complete imbecile to think he was unaware--is not relevant. In 1996, Bill Clinton signed into law a package of counterterrorism law that made it illegal to give money to Hezbollah (and other Islamic terrorist groups), regardless of the alleged (and usually phony) purpose.
But U.S. Attorney Stephen Murphy III not only did NOT seek a count for violating that law in the grand jury indictment of Chahine, but he let Chahine flee the country. Why not and why? Generally when a man has his property raided by federal agents twice in a few months, he knows he better get going. If Murphy really wanted him, he'd have gotten his ham sandwich indictment right away, as in before the raids ever happened.
But it appears Murphy didn't really want Chahine to stay here and answer charges. That would mean Chahine would be subject to questions about Imam Mohammed Ali Elahi, an Iranian agent and conduit to Hezbollah spiritual leader Fadlallah. And questions about how his mosque was funded.
And questions about why he lied on his application for U.S. citizenship, failing to disclose that he is an agent of Hezbollah and the Government of Iran. And questions about whether Imam Elahi was helping in laundering money to Fadlallah and Hezbollah. Sources say that Elahi is off-limits at Detroit area international ports (Detroit Metro Airport, the Ambassador Bridge, and the Tunnel). He's not subject to the rigorous searches and questioning reserved for the Little Old Lady from Pasadena and blonde chicks like me.
At a court hearing, an IRS agent held up a photo of Chahine with Hezbollah's Fadlallah. And yet, Mr. Elahi's own proudly displayed photo with Fadlallah, taken during a visit to Lebanon a year ago, doesn't seem to be of any concern to Murphy. Why should it be? He and assorted federal slobs-in-charge graced Elahi at his mosque and gave him enthusiastic applause and kudos, including when Elahi praised Hezbollah.
As I noted previously, Chahine's contributions were not directly to Hezbollah, but to Al Mabarrat Association. It has a Dearborn, Michigan affiliate, Al Mabarat Charitable Organization (note the U.S. version uses one "r", the Lebanese version--two "r"s). Al Mabarrat Association is clearly an open front for Hezbollah, and has Fadlallah's photo on its website front and center. Despite that, U.S. Attorney Stephen Murphy III and the IRS refuse to prosecute the U.S. branch of the charity for apparently violating the law and apparently donating the money to Hezbollah. And the State Department and Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Department of Treasury refuses to put either the Lebanese or American charity on the State Department terrorist list. On the contrary, the U.S. government allows it to operate and has licensed it as a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible organization, subsidized by American taxpayers.
Al Mabarat Charitable Organization's Dearborn officers--Fouad T. Beydoun, Ahmad J. Bazzi, and Nazem Baydoun--are from families that all come from Bint Jbeil, the Hezbollah stronghold in the South of Lebanon. Al Mabarat Charitable Organization's taxes show annual outlays of close to $1 million, but improperly fail to provide a separate schedule listing where the money went. Where is the money going?
To those who think the indictment of Talal Chahine will result in anything, think again. His indictment was about PR, NOT justice.
Let's not forget that Hezbollah not only murdered over 300 U.S. Marines and American civilians in Lebanon, tortured Col. Higgins, U.S. Embassy Attache William Buckley, and U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem to death, hijacked TWA 847, and blew up the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina (with a similar attempt at the Israeli Embassy in Argentina), but today, Hezbollah is working with Al-Qaeda. Hezbollah trains the Qaeda insurgents in Iraq that are murdering our soldiers, and Hezbollah has provided the IEDs (explosives) that blow them up. Hezbollah also participated in the bombing of the Khobar Towers.
Many of us haven't forgotten, but our spineless, despicable feds in charge in Detroit apparently have.
And to all the idiots who keep telling the Detroit media that they will continue to eat at La Shish--because the owner's tight association with Hezbollah's leader is not enough evidence that he's tied to terror--we say, there is a place on the O.J. jury for you, too.
If only these stupid restaurant patrons chose to drink at Jim Jones' bar rather than continue to eat at La Shish and support a bloody terrorist group. Society would have been far better served.
Posted by Debbie on May 25, 2006 04:18 PM to Debbie Schlussel