Republicans ARE “Strong on Terror!”
Thanks to my friend Joe T for alerting me to this one:
Joe asks if when the GOP says they are ‘Strong on Terror,’ do they mean:
“creating it, financing it, stirring it up, planting the seeds for it, ‘bringing it on’ to places it never was, using it to create fear and drum up support, or what?”
I couldn’t have said that better myself…
This week a New York man was indicted on multiple charges including terrorism financing, material support of terrorism, and money laundering. Interestingly, Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari (also known as Michael Mixon) was raising money for the Republican party as well as for terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. Alishtari had donated about $15,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) before 2004, and, according to a resume listed under his name (on a company website), was named a National Republican Senatorial Committee “Inner Circle Member for Life,” was appointed to the NRCC’s “White House Business Advisory Council,” and was named the NRCC’s New York state businessman of the year in 2002 and 2003. He also claimed signed photos from President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush thanking him for supporting the party.
Ironically, the press release announcing his appointment to the NRCC Business Advisory Council states that Alishari “has long supported Republican Ideals.”.
But Alishari is not the first from this Council to be indicted for terrorist activities. Yasith Chhun, indicted in May 2005, was also, according to the LA Times, a sitting member of the NRSS Business Advisory Council. As head of an organization listed by the State Department as a terrorist organization (the Cambodian Freedom Fighters), he raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for terrorist activities in Cambodia, while also raising tens of thousands of dollars for the NRCC. He was indicted for:
“…attempting to kill the prime minister, attack government buildings and launch small-scale attacks on karaoke bars and fuel depots in an effort to galvanize opposition to the Phnom Penh government.”
In both cases the NRCC has stated that it will not rush to judgement in returning the tainted funds, but will return the funds to charity in the event of a conviction.
Stay tuned: The trial of Yasith Chhun begins next month…