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Funding Evil
The tentacles of terrorism have reached deep into America, threatening to make Osama bin Laden’s dream of destroying the American economy a reality. As the United States spends billions upon billions more towards trying to fend off another 9/11-type attack, terrorist groups grow wealthier, and thus more capable of financing large-scale missions of murder and mayhem Funding Evil, by terrorism expert Rachel Ehrenfeld Ph.D, uncovers the clandestine and sinister ways that Islamic terrorist groups finance their global network. From innocent-looking American businesses that serve as fronts for terrorism to joint efforts with established groups in organized crime, terrorists have grown increasingly savvy in ways to bolster their financial power. Dr. Ehrenfeld’s investigation also details how these undetected billions are spent to methodically bring about chaos and destabilization in American society.
268 pages, Hardcover
First published October 31, 2003
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March 21, 2015
Follow the money. It’s the watchword of anyone trying to unravel a complex system to track down those who work behind the scenes. Rachel Ehrenfeld had done such a good job of following the money behind Al-Qaeda, international terrorism and the Taliban that she was being sued by a Saudi king-pin whom she names in her book,
Funding Evil
, first published in 2003.
She wasn't being sued in the U.S. though. The Saudi banker she named engaged in “forum-shopping” for his libel lawsuit, entering it in British courts in spite of the fact that the book was published only in the U.S. Because Britain’s libel laws place the burden of proof on the defendant (in other words, one is guilty until proven innocent), libel suits are much easier to win in that country.
Despite this suit, Ehrenfeld revised and updated the book for its paperback release, including information from the 9/11 Commission Report and other data learned in the intervening years. The new edition included a foreword written by R. James Woolsey, the CIA Director from 1993-95.
The author was one of the first to identify the relationship between criminal narcotics trafficking and global terrorism, and coined the phrase “narco-terrorism.” She does not hesitate to point fingers wherever the money leads. Banks, brokers, politicos and profiteers all come under Ehrenfeld’s scrutiny, and the book specifies how each branch of the terrorist network is underwritten:
* al-Qaeda (the “Islamist Plague”)
* the Palestinians
* Hizballah (the “Party of God”)
* other narco-terrorists
Particularly chilling is the chapter on Hizballah (the transliteration Ehrenfeld uses for Hezbollah throughout the book). The author identifies Iraqi, Iranian and Syrian connections of this Lebanon-based organization and traces its funding and recruitment efforts as far away as Paris.
In the spring of 2000, Iranian intelligence took steps to consolidate all Palestinian terrorist organizations into a single Secret Islamic Revolutionary Army, with Hezbollah’s expert operative Imad Mugniyah at the helm, to help Arafat plan his September attacks on Israel… In late July [2000], Iran arranged a meeting in Afghanistan between Osama bin Laden’s new “Lebanon team”… and a Palestinian delegation. As a result, al-Qaeda terrorists were sent to Lebanon for intensive training by Hezbollah in “the laying of ambushes, bomb construction and diffusing [sic] techniques, local booby-trapping techniques, and clandestine communications,” as well as in the forging of documents.
The money that funds terrorism continues to flow, despite years of effort to freeze assets. Ehrenfeld makes very clear her central argument; so long as we ignore the real people and organizations that command, fund, support and commit acts of terror, and instead concentrate our war against a nebulous “terrorism”, we cannot hope to succeed. Her book constitutes a well-researched enemies list for the prosecution of the war on terror.
Notes on 2011 Revised Edition, available on Kindle:
Although the list of organizations at the forefront of terror is always expanding and changing, money trails continue to lead to the same short list of sources.
Dr. Ehrenfeld succeeded in fighting off the Saudi lawsuit. She includes in this edition the description of how that success was achieved.
From the Amazon description:
In a rare event, the SPEECH act was passed unanimously by both houses of the U.S. Congress before being signed by President Obama on August 10, 2010.
She wasn't being sued in the U.S. though. The Saudi banker she named engaged in “forum-shopping” for his libel lawsuit, entering it in British courts in spite of the fact that the book was published only in the U.S. Because Britain’s libel laws place the burden of proof on the defendant (in other words, one is guilty until proven innocent), libel suits are much easier to win in that country.
Despite this suit, Ehrenfeld revised and updated the book for its paperback release, including information from the 9/11 Commission Report and other data learned in the intervening years. The new edition included a foreword written by R. James Woolsey, the CIA Director from 1993-95.
The author was one of the first to identify the relationship between criminal narcotics trafficking and global terrorism, and coined the phrase “narco-terrorism.” She does not hesitate to point fingers wherever the money leads. Banks, brokers, politicos and profiteers all come under Ehrenfeld’s scrutiny, and the book specifies how each branch of the terrorist network is underwritten:
* al-Qaeda (the “Islamist Plague”)
* the Palestinians
* Hizballah (the “Party of God”)
* other narco-terrorists
Particularly chilling is the chapter on Hizballah (the transliteration Ehrenfeld uses for Hezbollah throughout the book). The author identifies Iraqi, Iranian and Syrian connections of this Lebanon-based organization and traces its funding and recruitment efforts as far away as Paris.
In the spring of 2000, Iranian intelligence took steps to consolidate all Palestinian terrorist organizations into a single Secret Islamic Revolutionary Army, with Hezbollah’s expert operative Imad Mugniyah at the helm, to help Arafat plan his September attacks on Israel… In late July [2000], Iran arranged a meeting in Afghanistan between Osama bin Laden’s new “Lebanon team”… and a Palestinian delegation. As a result, al-Qaeda terrorists were sent to Lebanon for intensive training by Hezbollah in “the laying of ambushes, bomb construction and diffusing [sic] techniques, local booby-trapping techniques, and clandestine communications,” as well as in the forging of documents.
The money that funds terrorism continues to flow, despite years of effort to freeze assets. Ehrenfeld makes very clear her central argument; so long as we ignore the real people and organizations that command, fund, support and commit acts of terror, and instead concentrate our war against a nebulous “terrorism”, we cannot hope to succeed. Her book constitutes a well-researched enemies list for the prosecution of the war on terror.
Notes on 2011 Revised Edition, available on Kindle:
Although the list of organizations at the forefront of terror is always expanding and changing, money trails continue to lead to the same short list of sources.
Dr. Ehrenfeld succeeded in fighting off the Saudi lawsuit. She includes in this edition the description of how that success was achieved.
From the Amazon description:
Dr. Ehrenfeld's initiative and efforts led to the passage of New York' State's anti-libel tourism "Rachel's Law " and the SPEECH Act, signed into law in August 2010. These laws protect American writers and publishers in print and on the Internet from the enforcement of foreign libel judgements in the US.
In a rare event, the SPEECH act was passed unanimously by both houses of the U.S. Congress before being signed by President Obama on August 10, 2010.
April 11, 2014
About the Author: Rachel Ehrenfeld obtained a Ph.D. in criminology from the Hebrew University School of Law. She is the founder of the New York-based American Center for Democracy.
Overview: This book describes how terrorist organizations receive much of their funding from both national governments and international organized crime.
Libel Law and Freedom of the Press: In this book, Dr. Ehrenfeld made accusations against Saudi billionaire Khalid bin Mahfouz. In 2004 Mahfouz sued the author for libel in Britain, because British libel law favors the plaintiff. Ehrenfeld filed a countersuit against Khalid bin Mahfouz and won. This situation was the impetus behind the Anti-Libel Terrorism Protection Act passed by New York State in 2008 to protect New York based authors and publishers. This act is informally called Rachel’s Law. Khalid bin Mahfouz died in 2009. In 2010 the federal government of the United States passed the Securing the Protection of our Enduring and Established Constitutional Heritage (SPEECH) Act. On January 1, 2014, the Defamation Act 2013 came into effect in the United Kingdom.
Islamic Charities That Fund Terrorism
• Muslim World League
• International Islamic Relief Organization
• Al-Rashid Trust of Pakistan (now called the Aid Organization of the Ulema)
• World Assembly of Muslim Youth
• Al-Rajhi banking family of Saudi Arabia
• Benevolence International Foundation
• Taibah International Aid Association
• Islamic African Relief Agency
Criminal Activities That Fund Terrorism
• Smuggling, extortion, kidnapping, prostitution
• Credit card fraud, identity theft, currency counterfeiting
• Heroin, hashish, cocaine, methamphetamine
Opium and Heroin: Ehrenfeld states that the Taliban and al-Qaeda made a lot of money from growing opium in Afghanistan. The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan receives most of its funding from the sale of Afghan heroin. Al-Qaeda ships heroin to its European customers through the Balkans. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elaam of Sri Lanka supported their terrorist operations with the money they made from trafficking heroin from Burma. North Korea has made a lot of money from heroin, and used much of it to fund their nuclear weapons program. In April 2003, the Australian Special Air Service abseiled from helicopters onto the North Korean Pong Su ship off the coast of New South Wales and found 50 kilograms of heroin on board.
Southern Philippines: The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) of Islamist terrorists in the southern Philippines obtains arms from the Hong Kong 14-K triad. The ASG makes money by kidnapping hostages for ransom.
Operation Mountain Express: In January 2002, in an operation called Operation Mountain Express, American and Canadian law enforcement officers arrested many members of a methamphetamine drug ring run by Hizbollah.
South America: The Columbian drug trafficking organization, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) has strong ties to the Irish Republican Army. The Tri-Border Region of South America is an anarchic region where the borders of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet. It contains arms dealers, drug traffickers, currency counterfeiters, money launderers, uranium smugglers, and traffickers in weapons and stolen vehicles. Members of the Peruvian Shining Path, Chinese triads, the Russian mafia and Hizbollah work in this region.
Blood Diamonds: Hizbollah has used Lebanese diamond merchants to obtain diamonds from the Congo. In Sierra Leone jihadis worked with the local Revolutionary United Front, and in Liberia jihadis worked with dictator Charles Taylor.
Overview: This book describes how terrorist organizations receive much of their funding from both national governments and international organized crime.
Libel Law and Freedom of the Press: In this book, Dr. Ehrenfeld made accusations against Saudi billionaire Khalid bin Mahfouz. In 2004 Mahfouz sued the author for libel in Britain, because British libel law favors the plaintiff. Ehrenfeld filed a countersuit against Khalid bin Mahfouz and won. This situation was the impetus behind the Anti-Libel Terrorism Protection Act passed by New York State in 2008 to protect New York based authors and publishers. This act is informally called Rachel’s Law. Khalid bin Mahfouz died in 2009. In 2010 the federal government of the United States passed the Securing the Protection of our Enduring and Established Constitutional Heritage (SPEECH) Act. On January 1, 2014, the Defamation Act 2013 came into effect in the United Kingdom.
Islamic Charities That Fund Terrorism
• Muslim World League
• International Islamic Relief Organization
• Al-Rashid Trust of Pakistan (now called the Aid Organization of the Ulema)
• World Assembly of Muslim Youth
• Al-Rajhi banking family of Saudi Arabia
• Benevolence International Foundation
• Taibah International Aid Association
• Islamic African Relief Agency
Criminal Activities That Fund Terrorism
• Smuggling, extortion, kidnapping, prostitution
• Credit card fraud, identity theft, currency counterfeiting
• Heroin, hashish, cocaine, methamphetamine
Opium and Heroin: Ehrenfeld states that the Taliban and al-Qaeda made a lot of money from growing opium in Afghanistan. The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan receives most of its funding from the sale of Afghan heroin. Al-Qaeda ships heroin to its European customers through the Balkans. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elaam of Sri Lanka supported their terrorist operations with the money they made from trafficking heroin from Burma. North Korea has made a lot of money from heroin, and used much of it to fund their nuclear weapons program. In April 2003, the Australian Special Air Service abseiled from helicopters onto the North Korean Pong Su ship off the coast of New South Wales and found 50 kilograms of heroin on board.
Southern Philippines: The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) of Islamist terrorists in the southern Philippines obtains arms from the Hong Kong 14-K triad. The ASG makes money by kidnapping hostages for ransom.
Operation Mountain Express: In January 2002, in an operation called Operation Mountain Express, American and Canadian law enforcement officers arrested many members of a methamphetamine drug ring run by Hizbollah.
South America: The Columbian drug trafficking organization, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) has strong ties to the Irish Republican Army. The Tri-Border Region of South America is an anarchic region where the borders of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet. It contains arms dealers, drug traffickers, currency counterfeiters, money launderers, uranium smugglers, and traffickers in weapons and stolen vehicles. Members of the Peruvian Shining Path, Chinese triads, the Russian mafia and Hizbollah work in this region.
Blood Diamonds: Hizbollah has used Lebanese diamond merchants to obtain diamonds from the Congo. In Sierra Leone jihadis worked with the local Revolutionary United Front, and in Liberia jihadis worked with dictator Charles Taylor.
October 19, 2012
Ehrenfeld states that the Taliban and al-Qaeda made a lot of money from growing opium in Afghanistan, and arranged money laundering with the Russian mafia. Poppy growing also funds the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a terrorist organization. Al-Qaeda ships heroin to its European customers through the Balkans, and to its South-American customers through the anarchic tri-border region of Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. The Columbian drug trafficking organization, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) has strong ties to the Irish Republican Army.
The communist dictatorship of North Korea has made a lot of money from heroin, and used much of it to fund their nuclear weapons program. The Australian Special Air Service abseiled from helicopters onto the North Korean Pong Su ship off the coast of New South Wales and found 50 kilograms of heroin on board.
Terrorists like to move money from place to place in the form of gold, because it cannot be traced. The Taliban and al-Qaeda also stole gold from the Afghani national bank. Diamonds are another favorite of terrorist networks. Hizballah has used Lebanese diamond merchants to obtain diamonds from the Congo.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elaam supported their terrorist operations with the money they make from trafficking heroin from Burma. The Abu Sayyaf Group of Islamist terrorists in the southern Philippines obtains arms from the Hong Kong 14-K triad. The ASG makes money by kidnapping hostages for ransom.
The International Islamic Relief Organization is a charity that has given much of its money to al-Qaeda, the Taliban and HAMAS. The al-Rashid Trust is a Pakistani charity that was involved in the abduction and murder of reporter Daniel Pearl.
Saudi financier Khalid Salim bin Mahfouz sued the author of this book for libel for her claim that he helped fund terrorism. She won. In addition to oil money, Ehrenfeld also names international drug smuggling as a funding source for terrorism. Please buy a copy of this book and read it, as a way to promote freedom of the press.
The communist dictatorship of North Korea has made a lot of money from heroin, and used much of it to fund their nuclear weapons program. The Australian Special Air Service abseiled from helicopters onto the North Korean Pong Su ship off the coast of New South Wales and found 50 kilograms of heroin on board.
Terrorists like to move money from place to place in the form of gold, because it cannot be traced. The Taliban and al-Qaeda also stole gold from the Afghani national bank. Diamonds are another favorite of terrorist networks. Hizballah has used Lebanese diamond merchants to obtain diamonds from the Congo.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elaam supported their terrorist operations with the money they make from trafficking heroin from Burma. The Abu Sayyaf Group of Islamist terrorists in the southern Philippines obtains arms from the Hong Kong 14-K triad. The ASG makes money by kidnapping hostages for ransom.
The International Islamic Relief Organization is a charity that has given much of its money to al-Qaeda, the Taliban and HAMAS. The al-Rashid Trust is a Pakistani charity that was involved in the abduction and murder of reporter Daniel Pearl.
Saudi financier Khalid Salim bin Mahfouz sued the author of this book for libel for her claim that he helped fund terrorism. She won. In addition to oil money, Ehrenfeld also names international drug smuggling as a funding source for terrorism. Please buy a copy of this book and read it, as a way to promote freedom of the press.
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September 3, 2013Gave up. In a nutshell, due to Afganistan's opium rich fields, it has become a hub for financing terrorism with links to a global financial network that launders money for terrorist activity. Basically, narcoterrorism is funding the insurgents. How to stop it? The author believes that the pathway that leads from drugs manufacturing to terrorism must be cut in the region (easier said than done). Which isn't an ideal solution anyway, as funding can be sourced from alternative countries and other foreign drugs cartels, move to arms dealing (which is already happening), or even human trafficking (esp. forced labour - which is what the Chinese triad and Eastern European mafias are doing to line their pockets - which again is probably already happening).
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews