Helping Hamas

I ran across an interesting article at the Chicago Tribune.

The Center for National Security Studies and the ACLU have filed legal briefs in support of Abdelhaleem Ashqar, a Virginia man accused of helping to fund Mideast terrorists. It is alleged that Ashqar and two other men, Muhammed Salah and Mousa Abu Marzook, participated in a 15-year conspiracy to finance the group Hamas, laundering millions of dollars, some of which went to buy weapons. Marzook is a fugitive believed to be living in Syria.

The two groups are arguing that federal agents had no right to search Ashqar's home without a warrant in 1993. The search was conducted during the Clinton administration and approved by attorney general, Janet Reno.

"The 4th Amendment does not require the government to obtain court approval for a foreign intelligence search of an agent of a foreign power," prosecutors have stated.

That is the case, in a nutshell. This was not the normal search of a suspect's residence. However, the ACLU will use whatever means it can to stymie the government's efforts to fight terrorism, foreign and domestic. Once again, the organization finds itself on the wrong side of an issue. Protecting our civil liberties means that groups like Hamas must not be able to use our freedom against us. Those who collaborate with them have much explaining to do.

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