Feds seize 4 mosques and skyscraper

Prosecutors said the Alavi Foundation, through a front company known as Assa Corp., illegally funneled millions in rental income back to Iran's state-owned Bank Melli. Bank Melli has been accused by a U.S. Treasury official of providing support for Iran's nuclear program, and it is illegal in the United States to do business with the bank.
Government officials have long suspected the foundation was an arm of the Iranian government; a 97-page complaint details involvement of several top officials in foundation business, including the country's deputy prime minister and ambassadors to the United Nations.

"For two decades, the Alavi Foundation's affairs have been directed by various Iranian officials, including Iranian ambassadors to the United Nations, in violation of a series of American laws," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement.

Sounds like progress to me. If this organization owned property here, broke the law, and punishment under the law is forfeiture, sounds ok with me. I'd rather not see money from america funneled to the current leadership of Iran anyway.

NEW YORK - Federal prosecutors Thursday took steps to seize four U.S. mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organization long suspected of being secretly controlled by the Iranian government.
In what could prove to be one of the biggest counterterrorism seizures in U.S. history, prosecutors filed a civil complaint in federal court seeking the forfeiture of more than $500 million in assets of the Alavi Foundation and an alleged front company.
The assets include Islamic centers in New York City, Maryland, California and Houston, more than 100 acres in Virginia, and a 36-story office tower in New York.

Feds act to seize skyscraper, 4 mosques - Iran- msnbc.com

Good idea or gasoline on a bonfire?

I am certainly for it, as they have been breaking the law and funneling millions to the state bank of Iran, but am worried how it will all play out.

"The enemy is ignorance". Yes, lawbreakers and terrorist will not be free to break the law or endanger Americans directly or indirectly.

Let's have just enough sensitivity and political correctness to know that 95 % of Muslims/American-Muslims are respectful and law abiding.

I just don't want to see special Muslim internment camps set up in the U.S. Let's don't aleinate the entire Muslim world again a la Cheney-Bush!

That is the issue - the rents collected on the seized skyscraper fund religious charities and mosques - so we just took funding/support away from many Muslims...............who were already fearful of a backlash for Ft. Hood.

Don't think the seizure isn't justified (and how), just wondering about the political/PR implications.

"The enemy is ignorance". Yes, lawbreakers and terrorist will not be free to break the law or endanger Americans directly or indirectly.

Let's have just enough sensitivitty and political correctness to know that 95 % of Muslims are respectful and law abiding.

I just don't want to see special Muslim internment camps set up in the U.S. Let's don't aleinate the entire Muslim world again a la Cheney-Bush!

I kinda take offense to those who bring up Bush Cheney in this light. I watched a piece on tv one day showing speeches given by Bush and speeches given by Obama pertaining to Muslims and they were almost identical. Bush would often speak about tolerance toward Muslims. Again, the speech writing was almost identical.

I thought one good thing about not having Bush in power was that people would lay off of the bashing but it hasn't happened. I do agree that most Muslims, heck maybe 99%, are good people. But from what I'm hearing about this guy who shot up his fellow military, political correctness was way overboard. I don't think we need to worry about Political Correctness. That is almost impossible to put away in this society. I think what we need is some good old fashion common sense.

I kinda take offense to those who bring up Bush Cheney in this light. I watched a piece on tv one day showing speeches given by Bush and speeches given by Obama pertaining to Muslims and they were almost identical. Bush would often speak about tolerance toward Muslims. Again, the speech writing was almost identical.

I thought one good thing about not having Bush in power was that people would lay off of the bashing but it hasn't happened. I do agree that most Muslims, heck maybe 99%, are good people. But from what I'm hearing about this guy who shot up his fellow military, political correctness was way overboard. I don't think we need to worry about Political Correctness. That is almost impossible to put away in this society. I think what we need is some good old fashion common sense.

Obviously his speeches and his presidential actions were 2 different things... That is why Bush's last trip to Iraq ended with him famously ducking the dirty shoes of a Muslim reporter.

That incident summed up the entire Bush-Cheney fiasco there for me.

I must say, in his defense--he ducks things very well.

I kinda take offense to those who bring up Bush Cheney in this light. I watched a piece on tv one day showing speeches given by Bush and speeches given by Obama pertaining to Muslims and they were almost identical. Bush would often speak about tolerance toward Muslims. Again, the speech writing was almost identical.

I thought one good thing about not having Bush in power was that people would lay off of the bashing but it hasn't happened. I do agree that most Muslims, heck maybe 99%, are good people. But from what I'm hearing about this guy who shot up his fellow military, political correctness was way overboard. I don't think we need to worry about Political Correctness. That is almost impossible to put away in this society. I think what we need is some good old fashion common sense.

gpdd old fashioned common sense

Obviously his speeches and his presidential actions were 2 different things... That is why Bush's last trip to Iraq ended with him famously ducking the dirty shoes of a Muslim reporter.

That incident summed up the entire Bush-Cheney fiasco there for me.

I must say, in his defense--he ducks things very well.

I think in time he will be judged differently there. I read recently that Clinton had a statue erected in his honor in Kosovo. Iraq was similar to that war in a lot of ways as were the local protests and anti-american sentiment. In time though, people come around and realize we do actually do some good in the world.

gpdd old fashioned common sense

I really hope I misinterpreted this post - because if I didn't both the photo and sentiment you are expressing are offensive as hell.

One of the few things I thought Bush did right was to say post-9-11 that the terrorists didn't represent all of those of Muslim faith.

Yes, there are radicals who twist and pervert their religion to justify violence, war, and profiteering .................. but it's not just the Muslim faith that applies to......................and spewing hatred and blaming one religious or racial group has never had a happy ending.

I kinda take offense to those who bring up Bush Cheney in this light. I watched a piece on tv one day showing speeches given by Bush and speeches given by Obama pertaining to Muslims and they were almost identical. Bush would often speak about tolerance toward Muslims. Again, the speech writing was almost identical.

I thought one good thing about not having Bush in power was that people would lay off of the bashing but it hasn't happened. I do agree that most Muslims, heck maybe 99%, are good people. But from what I'm hearing about this guy who shot up his fellow military, political correctness was way overboard. I don't think we need to worry about Political Correctness. That is almost impossible to put away in this society. I think what we need is some good old fashion common sense.

You mean screening little old ladies for bombs before they can board an airplane isn't good policy?

When I was a little kid - long before 9-11 - I got stopped by airport security because I had stuck a pair of the big orange Fiscars scissors in my backpack so I could work on some craft project on the plane.

My mother's comment when I said I thought that was dumb - do you really think some evil terrorist WOULDN'T stick something in a little kid's bag?

Another perfectly legitimate argument made by Scooterbug and once again, this has turned into a Bush Bash again. Sigh.... Y'all are becoming about as predictable as sunrise, death and taxes.

Ironically, almost a year ago, the Alavi Foundation contributed between $25,000 and $50,000 to the William J. Clinton Foundation the same day an indictment came down from U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York indicting the president of the Alavi Foundation, Farshid Jahedi, "on a charge of obstruction of justice for allegedly destroying documents required to be produced under a grand jury subpoena concerning the Alavi Foundation's relationship with Bank Melli Iran and the ownership of a Manhattan office building." It also was not the first donation either.

Interesting article here regarding the history of this organization and the different relationships of it's directors.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/02/alavi-foundation-clinton-oped-cx_re_0105ehrenfeld.html
(I would also juggle down to the comments- just as interesting the various views)

Getting back to topic, I would imagine, Scooty, that if the Feds manage to seize the assets of the Alavi Foundation, that it would be placed under receivership of the Federal government and the mosques and schools would continue their operations. As far as diplomatic affairs with Iran, they broke the law. It's illegal for Iran to conduct business in the US.

The article seemed to say that the Feds would auction off the building (main asset), so it would no longer be bringing in the rents that have been supporting all these mosques and programs.

Reading the info and long list of issues, I can't believe it took them this long to act - unless they were just making sure it was an airtight case.

Fabulous work from the Feds! If illegal money funds charities, is that a good thing? Those receiving the funding, I hope, will realize the potential dangers that have been abated. This is America and they will somehow still receive charitable benefits.

Fabulous work from the Feds! If illegal money funds charities, is that a good thing? Those receiving the funding, I hope, will realize the potential dangers that have been abated. This is America and they will somehow still receive charitable benefits.

Agree. We are so quick to point fingers of blame when the bad guys 'slip through' (don't you love retrospective 20/20 vision?) but this is good work, and browsing Mango's article, bolstered by good evidence. There was also a recent catch of some bad players in New York who obviously had bomb on the brain syndrome. The Ft Hood case was a big miss, and the fallout will take a long time to settle.

I think in time he will be judged differently there. I read recently that Clinton had a statue erected in his honor in Kosovo. Iraq was similar to that war in a lot of ways as were the local protests and anti-american sentiment. In time though, people come around and realize we do actually do some good in the world.

Absolutely, and many times, regardless of any moral implications.

The article seemed to say that the Feds would auction off the building (main asset), so it would no longer be bringing in the rents that have been supporting all these mosques and programs.

Reading the info and long list of issues, I can't believe it took them this long to act - unless they were just making sure it was an airtight case.

Once again, you have hit the nail right on its head, IMO. They did not want these people sneaking through to dismissal on technicalities so it took a long period of time.
Our own sheriff, has made the point many times in presentations, that the public should not expect immediate or even a quick response to any criminal investigation. If a case is to stand up in court then it must be thoroughly investigated and documented. I don't like to see it take so long, SB44, and I'm sure you don't either but it is better than seeing those guilty get off because of an ill prepared case.