DATE=6/10/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-233670
TITLE= CHICAGO / HAMAS (L-O)
BYLINE= MICHAEL LELAND
DATELINE= CHICAGO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  FEDERAL OFFICIALS IN THE MIDWEST U-S CITY OF CHICAGO HAVE
SEIZED ALMOST ONE-AND-A-HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN CASH AND PROPERTY
THEY SAY WAS PART OF A SCHEME TO FUND MIDDLE EAST TERRORISM.  
THEY SAY THE SCHEME FUNNELED MONEY TO HAMAS, A RADICAL 
PALESTINIAN GROUP OPPOSED TO ISRAEL.  MORE FROM V-O-A'S MICHAEL 
LELAND IN CHICAGO. 

TEXT:  FEDERAL OFFICIALS FILED COURT PAPERS TUESDAY IN CHICAGO, 
SEIZING PROPERTY AND CASH FROM MOHAMMAD SALAH OF THE NEARBY 
COMMUNITY OF BRIDGEVIEW.  MR. SALAH IS AN ARAB-AMERICAN WHO WAS 
CONVICTED IN ISRAEL OF CHANNELING FUNDS TO THE ANTI-ISRAELI GROUP
HAMAS.  HE RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES LAST YEAR AFTER SERVING 
NEARLY FIVE YEARS IN AN ISRAELI PRISON.   

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SEIZED MR. SALAH'S HOME AND AUTOMOBILE, AS 
WELL AS ABOUT ONE-POINT-TWO MILLION DOLLARS IN CASH FROM BANK 
ACCOUNTS AND SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES HELD BY MR. SALAH AND HIS WIFE, 
AND BY THE QURANIC LITERACY INSTITUTE.  THE INSTITUTE SAYS IT 
TRANSLATES AND PUBLISHES SACRED ISLAMIC TEXTS, BUT U-S OFFICIALS 
SAY THE INSTITUTE IS INVOLVED IN HELPING FUND HAMAS OPERATIONS.  

DOCUMENTS FILED BY FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY THE SCHEME DATES BACK TO
1989.  THEY SAY IT FUNNELED MONEY FROM EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST
TO A U-S - BASED NETWORK OF HAMAS SUPPORTERS AND THEN ON TO HAMAS
OPERATIVES IN THE MIDDLE EAST.  THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF 
INVESTIGATION ALLEGES MR. SALAH WAS INVOLVED IN RECRUITING AND 
TRAINING TERRORISTS, AS WELL AS SERVING AS A FINANCIAL CONDUIT 
FOR HAMAS.

MR. SALAH TOLD REPORTERS TUESDAY NIGHT HE IS VERY SURPRISED THE  
U-S GOVERNMENT TOOK THIS STAND AND HE IS CONFIDENT OFFICIALS WILL
CHANGE THEIR MIND ABOUT THE CHARGES ONCE THEY GO TO COURT.   HE 
SAYS THE MONEY WAS GOING TO BE USED TO HELP POOR PEOPLE IN THE 
MIDDLE EAST.   THE U-S ATTORNEY IN CHICAGO SAYS THIS IS THE FIRST
CASE IN WHICH CIVIL ASSET FORFEITURE HAS BEEN USED TO SEIZE MONEY
IN U-S BANKS TO PREVENT IT FROM BEING USED FOR TERRORISM 
OVERSEAS.  (SIGNED)

NEB/MJL/MMK

10-Jun-98 3:43 PM EDT (1943 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.