Investigative Project on Terrorism Rejects Allegations by Tennessean, CAIR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Investigative Project on Terrorism Foundation is organized and operates as a charitable organization consistent with the law and IRS rules. The organization vehemently denies allegations to the contrary in Sunday's Tennessean newspaper.

In addition, the IPTF, which operates one of the world's most comprehensive data centers on radical Islamic terrorist groups, finds calls for an IRS investigation by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) unwarranted.

"CAIR has every reason to want to do us harm, and it has nothing to do with anything in its release Monday," said IPTF Executive Director Steven Emerson. "It has everything to do with CAIR's desire to shift attention away from embarrassing disclosures about the group's past and its ties to terrorists that we reported first and about our continuing investigations into CAIR's activities."

In early 2009, the IPTF broke news that the FBI had cut off communication with CAIR, citing evidence in a terror-financing prosecution that tied CAIR and its founders to a Hamas-support network in America. (see http://www.investigativeproject.org/985/fbi-cuts-off-cair-over-hamas-questions )

An FBI liaison later explained that the Bureau could not consider CAIR to be "an appropriate liaison partner" until it could determine "whether there continues to be a connection between CAIR or its executives and HAMAS" (see http://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/misc/265.pdf ).

In 2007, federal prosecutors wrote that "CAIR has been identified by the Government at trial as a participant in an ongoing and ultimately unlawful conspiracy to support a designated terrorist organization, a conspiracy from which CAIR never withdrew." (See http://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/479.pdf#page=15 )

No wonder CAIR is jumping on board the Tennessean article by Bob Smietana with both feet. The article contains false assertions of wrongdoing on the part of the IPTF and ad hominem attacks accusing Emerson of profiting off of "hate" but without supporting facts or attribution. It mischaracterizes the corporate structure and tax status that the IPTF has put in place to protect our donors and our staff—both of which have been the subject of threats from radical Islamists. The reporter was supplied by the IPTF with facts and IRS documents that demonstrated this, but apparently that did not fit into the preconceived notions that led to his this extremely flawed reporting.

The Tennessean questions the relationship between IPTF, a tax-exempt public charity, and SAE Productions, a for-profit company run by Emerson. IPTF's Form 1023 application for tax-exempt status and its IRS Form 990 returns are publicly available documents that have been filed with the IRS. They were prepared with professional assistance and are in full compliance with IRS rules in this area.

IPTF's clearly stated mission is to identify potential terrorist threats, particularly those coming from people who hide their true leanings. Our track record is clear: From members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad working at a university think tank in Florida to Hamas supporters using a charity to support terrorism, IPTF has been ahead of the curve. Many of the subjects of our work are either in prison or have been deported. That speaks volumes about our credibility, and we stand on our record. Our website (www.investigativeproject.org ) quotes various members of Congress and senior law enforcement officials who laud IPTF for its work exposing radical Islamic groups.

With the limited exceptions that have been approved for protecting the security of our staff and donors, we have nothing to hide. On the contrary, CAIR and its ilk have plenty to hide — primarily their demonstrated ties to terrorist groups.

We won't let them silence us or make us go away. We also realize that when you specialize in the work we do, you make enemies. We've earned them the hard way, through diligent research that relies on public documents and what the elements of radical Islam have said publicly. CAIR's latest release shows they haven't changed.

A detailed response to the Tennessean story can be found here: http://www.investigativeproject.org/2278/note-to-readers-on-tennessean-story

SOURCE The Investigative Project on Terrorism