Terror Alerts Confirm PJM Reporting on Hamas Fundraiser’s Scheduled Memphis Event
Last month I reported that Mohammed al-Hanooti was scheduled to appear at Masjid al-Noor — a mosque operated by the Islamic Association of Greater Memphis — from July 13-15 based on an “upcoming events” announcement posted on the mosque’s own website (“Blue Suede Jihad: Major Hamas Fundraiser Welcomed in the Land of Elvis”). Al-Hanooti is an imam from the Washington, D.C., area who has been repeatedly identified by the FBI as a top fundraiser for the Hamas terrorist organization.
No sooner had my article appeared than the mosque scrubbed its website.
The Memphis Commercial Appeal waded into the issue the following week, with an article by reporter Michael Lollar characterizing my initial report as “inaccurate” (“Hamas fundraiser not speaking at mosque”). Lollar quickly brushed aside the fact that the mosque itself had advertised al-Hanooti’s appearance on their own website, quoting a denial by the Islamic Association’s chairman that the event was ever scheduled and expressing bewilderment at how the notice appeared on their website. An accompanying statement from an official from an affiliated mosque, saying that they would have known if a Hamas fundraiser was coming to town, was thrown in as additional proof that the event was never scheduled.
I responded to the Commercial Appeal article (“Blue Suede Jihad: PJM Gets the MSM Treatment”) by noting that Lollar had failed to contact me for comment and that he had dedicated more space to explaining the origins of the PJ Media moniker than to investigating why the mosque had announced al-Hanooti’s appearance on their website. I also observed that the article swiftly dealt with al-Hanooti’s terror-tied pedigree by admitting that he was an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing trial, and that I had claimed he was “an active supporter of terrorism and extremist Islamic ideology” — ignoring entirely the dozen government reports, memos, federal wiretap transcripts, and news articles outlining his long-time terror support I had linked to in my initial report.
In the closing of his article, Lollar invoked the authority of the FBI to dismiss our earlier, allegedly “inaccurate” report: “FBI and University of Memphis spokesmen said they were not contacted about any visit by al-Hanooti or other Hamas leaders.”
But it seems that claim by the Commercial Appeal wasn’t true either.
In fact, we’ve been provided copies of two separate classified terror alerts that were sent to Memphis-area law enforcement agencies prior to the publication of my initial report warning them of al-Hanooti’s upcoming appearance.
The first alert, sent on June 25th and marked “Law Enforcement Sensitive/For Official Use Only,” confirms virtually every element of our reporting, most notably that “reliable information” had been received by local counterterrorism officials that this event was scheduled to take place. It also details Mohammed Al-Hanooti’s extensive ties to domestic terrorism, including being named in two separate terrorism trials as an unindicted co-conspirator; having provided references for one of the 1993 World Trade Center bombers; being identified as a top fundraiser for Hamas; and making statements in support of violent jihad.
That terror alert was followed up by another a few days later by the area fusion center, providing virtually the same information as the first. The fusion center coordinates and circulates terror-related information to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies — including the FBI.
I spoke with Joel Siskovic, spokesman for the FBI’s Memphis Field Office, about the contradiction between the Commercial Appeal article, which claimed the FBI was unaware of the mosque’s al-Hanooti event, and the two separate terror alerts that warned of the upcoming event that had been sent to Memphis-area law enforcement agencies.
Siskovic confirmed that they had in fact been aware of the terror alerts warning of his appearance, and that the mosque disputed after the fact that the event was even scheduled to take place (again, despite them announcing it on their own website as an “upcoming event”). Siskovic told me:
What I was indicating to the reporter is that we had no solid indication of whether this individual was coming to town or not. We had information about the web site posting and there still was some debate whether it was going to happen. … Our comment [to the Commercial Appeal reporter] was that based on our community outreach, we had not been contacted about this event from anyone inside the Muslim community.
That is a decidedly different perspective than what was reported by the Commercial Appeal. The Memphis FBI was well aware that this information had been posted.
As I noted in my response to the Commercial Appeal, I contacted reporter Michael Lollar the day his article appeared both by phone and email to ask about whether he was aware of these terror alerts and to inquire why neither myself or anyone from PJ Media was contacted for his article. So far, Lollar has declined to reply. As I stated earlier, I would have gladly provided copies of these respective terror alerts to the Commercial Appeal had they bothered to contact us before their article appeared.
At best, this case is yet another episode of mainstream media incuriosity when it comes to the issue of radical Islam in the American heartland.
Admittedly, we’ll never know if the Memphis mosque really had intended to host the terror-tied imam, as both the mosque and the Commercial Appeal are now invested in their respective denials despite mounting evidence to the contrary. But with such a credibility gap, it should be no wonder that newspapers like the Washington Post are resorting to literally giving major news divisions away.
But why would the Islamic Association of Greater Memphis have to buy the Commercial Appeal for $1, when they already have it in their pocket for free?
A screenshot of the mosque’s website announcing al-Hanooti’s visit can be found here:
http://pajamasmedia.com/files/2010/07/Islamic_Assoc_of_Greater_Memphis_Events_Hanooti.jpg
Don’t you know, silly, that these people are not dangerous? Just because they’re a radical Muslim group bent on supporting Hamas, a terrorist organization, that doesn’t mean that they support terrorism. Silly paranoid Americans.
The real problem, according to our crack Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano, is “White Militia Groups,” don’t ch’ya know. Or those nasty Tea Party activists, the ones with those dangerous lawn chairs and signs. In fact, one of those signs even had a coild snake on it that had the cryptic words, “Don’t tread on me.” They MUST be evil and talking in code, no less!
That the FBI hasn’t shut down any of these Islamic groups is INSANE. They have been giving money to terrorist groups for years and all of this has been documented by writers like Steven Emerson in his book “American Jihad.” Why does Janet Napolitano still have a job?
She still has a job because her boss is a muslim/hamas sympathizer if not a member himself.
The call to prayer is one of the most beautiful sounds according to President Barry.
It is newsworthy, that even when smacked upside the head with proof of Islamic terrorists operating within their respective communities, the MSM writ large denies any knowledge of these facts.
One has to wonder the following – if privy to an impending attack, would these same blind mice alert the authorities(who would in turn be able to protect the general public) or, would they become complicit in the attack through their silence?
The point being, when a media outlet refuses to channel terror related information-regardless of where it leads, regardless if it fits their ideological narrative-they become part and parcel to whatever ensues due to their silence.
Moreover, the alternative media should up the ante, letting the MSM know that they are put on notice, that if another attack occurs(and it is proven that they withheld information)they will be held to account to the fullest weight of the law!
My question is this: If this savage was supposed to appear, was he going to drive from DC to Memphis? I would hope that he is on the no fly list, but I am not counting my blessings on that.
I think your experience could – and should – be used in Journalism 101 on how to research a story. What is amazing to me is how poorly Lollar uses (or maybe how well he misuses) language. It is TRUE that the FBI (and the University of Memphis?) were not contacted (by anyone inside the Muslim community).
Seems like Lollar is using the “squirrel!!” technique while the wolf is sniffing around the door.
And he wasn’t the slight bit curious how the information got on the events page?)
There are so many instances of this knee jerk reaction by members of the press to immediately jump to the rescue of these Islamic organizations in response to any and all inferences that they are in any way connected to terror or terrorists organizations; not just denial but blind acceptance of the false, diabolically clever rhetoric that regularly spews from Muslim lips as irrefutable fact, and never looking back.
No interest at all in truth based on actual facts or their own journalistic integrity. Retractions or corrections are either buried or non-existent. It smacks of desperation born out of fear that their desperate dedication to a narrative is founded on a pack of lies they’ve long held as the gospel truth. They are sliding down a very slippery slope to eventual disgrace and obscurity kicking and screaming and bemoaning the unfairness of it all. If it weren’t for the widespread damage their narcissistic ignorance causes I could almost feel pity.
Isn’t it about time that we refrain from calling Islam a religion but call it what it is, a cult. Be clear, Jihadists have not hijacked Islam, Islam has hijacked Muslims. They are born and trapped by the 7th Century rantings of a Modern Day Jim Jones. As your article once again points out, if Muslims are involved it will mean more lies and deceit.
Sharia must be crushed. Come visit my site at http://www.dangersofallah.com
I lived in Memphis 30 years-the newspaper has to be the worst in America. You may want to chalk this up to incompetence, as an attempt to decieve.
There will be another Protest at the World Trade Center site on 9/11/2010. Be there if you are able. The Imam of this so called Mosque will not denounce Hamas as a Terror Group. But, this same Imam wants to ‘build bridges’. I want to know how our LEADERS (Specifically Mayor Bloomberg/NY) can think the ‘American People’ are as Stupid, Naive, Ignorant, slow whitted, AS THEY ARE ?????? We STILL do not know where the 130 MILLION dollars to build this ‘monument’ to declare their ‘Victory’ at the WTC is coming from. One problem we have in the United States, is that the FBI does not want to ‘ruffle feathers’ with the muslims because they need their co-operation in regard to terrorist activity. So once again in the name of something which could be considered ‘bigoted’ or stifling ‘religious freedom’ has BACKED US IN A CORNER. I DO NOT TRUST ANY OF THESE IMAMS IN THE LEAST and it is their own fault I feel this way. As I have not seen anything, heard anything, nothing has been formulated from the Muslim community to “reach out” to make me feel any differently than I do right now. ONE MORE POINT: We need to stand our ground in American against Sharia Law!!! Let them go create their own country or go back to the middle east if they want to have this Sharia! Smoke comes out of my ears at the thought of this getting through. NJProtestor
Mr. Poole,
Tanks you for you article and your reporting. You inspired me to register and post a comment on Mr. Lollar’s post. I don’t know if it’ll make it through moderation, but for posterity’s sake here’s my effort on your behalf:
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Mr. Lollar,
I’m sorry to inform you that you’ve been had. The imam indeed was going to speak in Memphis. The FBI was aware of his scheduled attendance.
What part of reporting do you not understand? Seems to me you could have provided a link to PJ’s article, but I guess you’re too busy not doing your job to even contact the author of the article.
Here a link to the aforementioned post at PJ’s: <a href="http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/terror-a… Here's the tag line:
"A Memphis newspaper refuses to discuss its article describing PJM's report as inaccurate, despite confirmation from the FBI that PJM was absolutely correct."
The author's name is Patrick Poole and he has tried to contact you since the day you first posted this rubbish… Scared Much?
Seems to me Mr. Lollar, you should put up or shut up, and quit being such a liberal media hack.
Sincerely poorsinner101
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Hope this helps!
Thank you, Mr. Poole. Keep it up.