This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/739
July 4, 2005
OFFICIAL FROM JUSTICE DEPT. INITIATED GRANT TO TERROR SUPPORTING GROUP
AAH SAYS ACOSTA HAS "NO CHOICE" BUT TO RESIGN
(Coral Springs, FL) On February 7, 2005, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the availability of funds in the form of outreach grants for "public education efforts regarding immigration-related employment discrimination." One of the grants was given to the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), a group with a long history of support for overseas Islamic terrorist organizations that receives millions of dollars from Wahhabists in Saudi Arabia.
Yesterday, Chairman of Americans Against Hate (AAH), Joe Kaufman, contacted the Justice Department to infer about how the grant got into the hands of ADC. Kaufman spoke with Acting Public Affairs Specialist to the DOJ's Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC), Lilia Irizarry, who stated that the grant was initiated by none other than DOJ official Rene Alexander Acosta.
Acosta had just been presented with ADC's 2005 'Friend in Government' Award in May, just one month prior to ADC announcing on its website that it had received the grant.
According to a DOJ counter-terrorism memorandum issued shortly after 9/11, the mission of DOJ is "to preserve the Constitutional rights and freedoms of all Americans." It is not to give and receive awards from those that wish to cause harm to Americans. Because of this extreme conflict of interest, AAH is calling on R. Alexander Acosta to step down from his current position as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
Joe Kaufman stated, "It is outrageous that an official from the Justice Department would accept an award from a group that supports overseas terror. It is equally outrageous that the Justice Department would give taxpayers' money in the form of a federal grant to this group. But what is even more outrageous is the fact that the official that received the award from the group was the same individual that initiated the grant to begin with! In his actions, Mr. Acosta has shown a total disregard for the personal welfare of the citizens of the United States. It is evident that he can no longer perform his duties with the trust of the people he has been charged to protect. We therefore feel that he has no other choice but to resign from his position as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida."
Joe Kaufman is available for interview. E-mail: [email protected].
Americans Against Hate www.americansagainsthate.com PRESS RELEASE July 4, 2005 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICIAL ACCEPTS AWARD FROM TERROR SUPPORTING GROUP ACOSTA WROTE ADC-INDUCED LETTER (Coral Springs, FL) Rene Alexander Acosta, the newly appointed Interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, in May of 2005, received the 2005 'Friend in Government' Award from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), a group that has a long history of support for terrorist organizations. Terror groups that ADC has publicly declared its support for include Hamas and Hezbollah. In June of 1993, then-ADC President Albert Mokhiber stated, "Most outrageous of all the allegations 'reported' by [Patrick] Symmes was his opinion that 'Hamas is a band of murderers.'" In November of 1994, then-ADC President Hamzi Moghrabi stated, "I mean, I know many people in Hamas. They are very respectable. They don't accept violence. And I don't believe Hamas, as an organization, is a violent organization." In August of 1996, then-ADC President Hala Maksoud stated, "Hezbollah is a Lebanese resistance organization… This hardly qualifies as terrorism." In May of 2000, then-ADC Spokesman Hussein Ibish stated, "Everywhere Hezbollah fighters, derided by the Israeli and U.S. governments as 'terrorists,' conducted themselves in an exemplary manner... [Hezbollah is] a disciplined and responsible liberation force." The May 2005 event (ADC's 25th Year Silver Anniversary Convention) was not the first time Rene Alexander Acosta was honored by ADC. He was also a 2004 recipient of ADC Michigan's 'Distinguished Leadership Award.' Americans Against Hate (AAH) points to Acosta's work with ADC as a reason why he has received such 'honors.' In August of 2004, at the behest of ADC President Mary Rose Oakar, Acosta used his position in the Department of Justice, as Assistant Attorney General, to write a letter addressing ADC's concerns about discrimination in schools. AAH also points out that, at the same event Acosta was honored, ADC received a $6 million donation from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the same individual whose $10 million dollar donation to New York was refused by then Mayor Rudy Giuliani, after the 9/11 attacks. AAH Chairman Joe Kaufman stated, "Interim U.S. Attorney Acosta, who may very well soon be named the full time U.S. Attorney (for the Southern District of Florida), must understand there is a conflict of interest with a government official charged with protecting the safety of American citizens from terrorism, who assists and accepts awards from those that support that very same terrorism. We ask that, if Interim U.S. Attorney Acosta continues to act in such a manner, he step down from his post and not accept any further appointments to government positions." Further information on this subject can be found on Militant Islam Monitor, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/734. Joe Kaufman is available for interview. E-mail: [email protected]. This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/739
For Immediate Release
Contact: Joe Kaufman ([email protected])