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Terror Fund Trail Leads To Liechtenstein

(Forward) Marc Perelman - Soliman Biheiri, a native of Egypt, was convicted in a federal court in Virginia of lying on his citizenship application, the first conviction to be handed down in a major terrorism investigation involving a cluster of Islamic charities and companies in Virginia. While such immigration charges typically carry prison sentences of less than six months, prosecutors have asked the court to jail Biheiri for up to 10 years because of his potential terrorist links. Sources close to the investigation said prosecutors think Biheiri has deep knowledge of the SAAR network, a group of Muslim charities and companies based in Virginia, that is believed to have ties in two European tax havens, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. In an affidavit filed in support of Biheiri's detention, special agent David Kane accused him of possibly funneling $3.7 million from the Virginia charities to terrorists through his New Jersey-based real estate investment company, BMI. Kane also alleged that Biheiri had business and personal relationships with Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzook, suspected al-Qaeda and Hamas backer Yassin Qadi, and Sami Al-Arian, a Florida university professor indicted for his alleged leadership position in Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
2003-10-17 00:00:00
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