>
>>http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/12/23/News/News.40402.html
>>
>>Lawyer for Hamas-linked group is Bush adviser on Arab-Americans
>>By Janine Zacharia
>>
>>WASHINGTON (December 23) - A partner in the law firm that represents the
>>Hamas-linked Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development is also a
>>prominent adviser to the Bush White House on Arab-American outreach.
>>
>>George Salem and his law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld have been
>>representing the Holy Land Foundation in a civil lawsuit brought last year
>>against several charities suspected of ties to Hamas by Stanley and Joyce
>>Boim, whose son David was shot dead by Hamas terrorists in 1996. The case
>>is currently in an Illinois appeals court.
>>
>>A few weeks before President George W. Bush announced on December 4 that
>>the US was freezing the assets of the Texas-based charity, Salem lobbied
>>the Justice Department to issue an opinion that would have helped Holy
>>Land in its case against the Boims. The court had asked for the federal
>>government's view.
>>
>>The Justice Department disagreed with Salem's arguments that the case
>>against his client was unconstitutional.
>>
>>Salem also tried to rally support for the organization on Capitol Hill,
>>telephoning at least one congressman who rebuffed his request, according
>>to a source briefed on the call.
>>
>>After Bush's announcement, Salem boarded a plane for Texas to see if he
>>could help his client out. It was only after a sour meeting there that
>>Salem recommended to his firm to decline to help Holy Land in its bid to
>>reverse the administration's decision, according to sources familiar with
>>what took place. The charity has since sought other legal counsel
>>regarding the assets issue.
>>
>>"George had a pretty good idea of how to work out a deal and then he went
>>down there with his outline of what a deal would look like," said one
>>person close to Salem.
>>
>>The terms of the prospective proposal are unclear. But Salem was
>>apparently unhappy with the foundation's response to his offer.
>>
>>"Following that meeting, he was no longer interested in representing them
>>in the effort to unfreeze their assets," the person close to Salem added.
>>
>>Zev Furst, a consultant for Akin Gump, spoke to The Jerusalem Post on
>>Salem's behalf. "It was George who suggested and urged that the firm
>>decline to represent the Holy Land Foundation on the issue of the freezing
>>of its assets," Furst said.
>>
>>Asked if Salem had made the suggestion because he was persuaded by the
>>government's arguments that Holy Land was a Hamas front, Furst answered
>>vaguely.
>>
>>"It had nothing to do with the evidence. It had to do with the government
>>action. The government made certain allegations and took certain steps on
>>the basis of those allegations. On the basis of those steps, George
>>suggested that the firm decline to represent the Holy Land Foundation in
>>trying to unfreeze those assets," he said.
>>
>>A former senior Akin Gump employee said that scenario was unlikely, and
>>that it was more plausible that the partners were eager to dissociate
>>themselves from Holy Land the minute Bush said it was a Hamas front.
>>
>>A columnist who writes about legal issues for The Washington Post, which
>>is among the American media outlets that have taken an interest in the
>>story, wrote on Monday: "Why did Salem decline to represent the Holy Land
>>Foundation? Was it pressure from the administration? Was the firm worried
>>about losing clients? Did helping fight what Salem believes is a
>>constitutionally significant case lose out over US patriotism? Or did
>>Salem's political connections win out over his personal convictions? We'll
>>never know." Furst would not say what Salem thought of the government's
>>accusations about Holy Land.
>>
>>But in arguments before the Illinois court on Friday, Salem was quoted as
>>saying: "If this case were allowed to its logical conclusion, legitimate
>>USA. charities could be held liable for unrelated acts by individuals not
>>connected to their charities."
>>
>>A White House official, when asked about Salem's connection to Holy Land
>>said: "George Salem is among many people we reach out to on issues
>>affecting the Muslim-American community." The official did not want to
>>comment on his efforts to help Holy Land or his legal representation of
>>the charity.
>>
>>Since September 11, Salem has been at the forefront of helping the White
>>House coordinate its outreach to the Muslim American and Arab American
>>community.
>>
>>The Washington Post described Salem as "closely associated with Bush. Very
>>close. Three million dollars close. That's how much money Arab Americans
>>donated to the Bush campaign last year and much of the credit goes to
>>Salem, who chaired Arab-Americans for Bush-Cheney 2000." Citing federal
>>election records, it said Salem had donated $72,000 to Republican causes
>>and candidates since 1988.
>>
>>After the US announced the decision to freeze Holy Land's assets, a
>>coalition of Muslim American organizations called on Bush to reconsider
>>the action and blamed "pro-Israel organizations" for spreading inaccurate
>>information about the charity.
>>
>>However, while Salem worked initially behind the scenes to try to help
>>Holy Land, the organization that Salem chairs, the Arab American Institute
>>(AAI), did not publicly join other groups in the charity's defense.
>>
>>That could change. The National Coalition to Protect Political Freedom -
>>an umbrella organization of 30 groups founded in 1996 in response to
>>anti-terrorism legislation that the organizations felt violated civil
>>liberties - is drafting a statement of support for Holy Land.
>>
>>An official at one of the participating organizations said last week the
>>statement will argue that the government has not proven Holy Land has
>>broken any laws and that freezing the charity's assets prevents it from
>>being able to acquire adequate defense.
>>
>>Kit Gage, national coordinator of the National Coalition, says the
>>statement is still tentative and that it is currently only an internal
>>memo.
>>
>>She said it mirrors arguments the National Coalition has made on behalf of
>>others who have had their assets frozen and seized.
>>
>>"It is preferable for the government, if they believe someone is involved
>>in criminal activity, to bring criminal charges so there will be a
>>presumption of innocence. We would ask the same in terms of the Holy Land
>>Foundation," Gage said.
>>
>>Holy Land consistently denies that it has links to terrorist groups and
>>says that it provides solely for Palestinian humanitarian needs.
>>
>>"We have no reason to believe that the government had any solid evidence
>>against the foundation. That is why they resorted to a presidential order
>>that does not need a high burden of proof," Holy Land President Shukri Abu
>>Baker said in a recent interview.
>>
>>He added that the move "concurs with the Israeli agenda to suffocate and
>>subdue the Palestinian people economically...This is one more attempt to
>>marginalize Muslims after they have proven to be important and
>>influential. This influence, especially when instrumental in bringing Bush
>>to power, has caused concern for competing lobbies and special interest
>>groups."
>>


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