How
Much Does the U.S. Government Still Deal with CAIR?
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A 2013 Inspector
General report found the FBI maintained contacts with CAIR against
official policy.
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October 6 Conference Call with DHS, DOJ & FBI
Several federal agencies appear to have ongoing contacts with an
organization that has been connected to international terrorism.
On October 6, 2015, according to Department of Homeland Security
spokesman S.Y. Lee, DHS convened a conference call with "senior
officials from the FBI, Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights
Division, DOJ Community Relations Service, DHS Office of Infrastructure
Protection and Federal Emergency Management Agency." Also on
the call were what Lee characterized insipidly as "faith-based,
community-based, and civil rights and civil liberties advocacy
stakeholders," and what the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) characterized
as "American Muslim community leaders."
CAIR's press release on the subject coyly does not say whether it was
one of the "American Muslim community leaders" participating in
the meeting.
Its possible involvement is significant because, after several CAIR founders
and/or officials were convicted
in the Holy Land Foundation case
– America's largest terrorism financing case – the FBI severed its
liaison relationship with the group, banning it
from cooperation
for the foreseeable future. CAIR was not indicted as a defendant,
but was deemed an unindicted
co-conspirator. The FBI did "not view CAIR as an
appropriate liaison
partner" and "suspended all formal outreach activities"
with it.
Despite the FBI's policy restricting contact with the group, a 2013
Inspector General report
concluded that during the current administration, FBI offices have flouted
the policy by continuing outreach activities with CAIR. FBI
leadership "did not conduct effective oversight to ensure
compliance with the policy."
Fourteen months after the IG report was released, the United Arab
Emirates designated
CAIR as a terrorist organization.
FBI spokesman Christopher M. Allen confirmed the FBI's participation
in the October 6 call, and claimed he did "not have
information" about whether CAIR likewise participated. He also
confirmed that the bureau's anti-CAIR policy remains in effect. The
policy does not ban all interaction between CAIR and the bureau, Allen
said. Even if CAIR were present, that "would not necessarily
represent a violation of the policy." Asked the identity of
the FBI official who approved the bureau's participation in this
non-public call organized by a federal agency, Allen did not respond.
DHS spokesman Lee likewise failed to answer questions about whether
CAIR participated in the October 6 call. He also ignored questions
about whether DHS has a policy in place restricting the agency's contact
with CAIR.
DOJ's main press office (the FBI has its own office) completely
ignored questions about whether it had its own policy regarding CAIR
contacts and whether CAIR participated in the October 6 call. DOJ
even refused to confirm that it participated in the call, as DHS's Lee
reported.
In fairness, it should be noted that the call was evidently convened
in response to a request
from CAIR that DHS address Muslim community concerns about protests
planned to take place outside mosques in several American cities on
October 9-10. Nevertheless, even if true, the fact that CAIR may
have requested a call does not mean government agencies were obliged to
include it, let alone one with "senior officials."
It is noteworthy that none of these agencies – the FBI, DOJ, and DHS –
would answer direct questions about whether CAIR participated in the
call, and that the FBI – which by its own admission still has a policy
sharply restricting contact with CAIR – failed to address a direct
question about who authorized (what DHS spokesman Lee characterized as)
"senior officials" to participate. Lee's failure to
respond to the question about DHS's policy on CAIR, and DOJ's complete failure
to answer any questions, are also of note. Lee's description of
call participants as "faith-based" and "civil rights"
stakeholders is suggestive because CAIR presents itself as a mainstream
organization advocating for the civil rights of American
Muslims,
and mainstream media sometimes echo
CAIR's self-description.
It seems quite likely CAIR did participate in the call, and that the
FBI ignored its policy of avoiding contact with the organization (either
violating it outright or failing to follow required procedures to obtain
approval/waiver). Given their reluctance to answer questions, it
also seems likely DHS and DOJ either have similar policies in place or
recognize how awkward it is that they don't have such a policy, in light
of the FBI policy and the reasons for it.
October 6 Meeting with State
A State Department official confirmed CAIR's report
that CAIR and other American Muslim organizations met with officials from
State on October 6. CAIR described the purpose of the meeting as to
increase the number of Syrian refugees allowed into the United States and
to complain about the situation on the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, a/k/a the
Temple Mount. The State Department source characterized the meeting
as part of its "routine" engagement with faith-based
organizations.
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State Dept. press
director Rathke: a range of US government officials have met with CAIR
officials.
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The October 6 meeting with CAIR is not unique. Previously, State
Department press director Jeff Rathke stated,
"As part of our routine engagement with a broad spectrum of
faith-based organizations, a range of US government officials have met
with officials of the Council on American-Islamic Relations,"
implying that the State Department is among those government officials
meeting with CAIR.
The same source who confirmed the October 6 meeting also indicated
that State has no special policy limiting its contacts with CAIR, but did
reiterate that the US requested
additional information about the UAE's November 2014 decision to designate
CAIR a terrorist organization. The source did not say whether the
government had received any further information from the UAE.
Given both the prior involvement of CAIR officials in terrorist
funding, resulting in CAIR's unindicted co-conspirator status and the FBI
decision to sever its prior liaison relationship with the group, and the
UAE's decision less than a year ago to designate the group as a terrorist
organization, it is disappointing that the State Department has no policy
at least limiting its contact with the group. It is also
disappointing that DOJ (of which the FBI is a part) and DHS are not open
about their policy toward CAIR and the reasons for it.
In fact, it is regrettable that the executive branch as a whole does
not have a unified policy about it, and enforce that policy. As the
FBI indicated in its April 2009 letter
to Senator Kyl, its decision to suspend CAIR was made pending resolution
of "whether there continues to be a connection between CAIR or its
executives and Hamas" or, one assumes, any other terrorist
group. That was six and a half years ago. What have the FBI,
and the executive branch as a whole, found? Have they done nothing
since then besides ask the United Arab Emirates for information about
this American group?
Johanna Markind is Associate
Counselor for the Middle East Forum.
Related
Topics: Government, Lobby Groups, Police / FBI
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