Prosecution Rests in Holy Land Terror Financing Case

By Rick Moran

After 6 weeks of testimony, the prosecution in the trial of several executives of the Holy Land Foundation, an Islamic charity that the government says funds the terrorist group Hamas, has rested:

After six weeks of testimony, prosecutors finishing presenting evidence Thursday in the terror-support trial of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) and five of its top officials. Jurors heard testimony from 10 expert witnesses, saw hundreds of exhibits including videos and documents taken from HLF and their associates and heard secretly recorded conversations involving various defendants.

The defense spent Wednesday and Thursday cross examining FBI Agent Lara Burns, the government's final witness. Defense attorney Nancy Hollander, who represents former HLF chief executive Shukri Abu Baker, repeatedly pointed to portions of exhibits Burns did not highlight in her testimony.

The defense is claiming that the group works with the legitimate Palestinian Authority and not Hamas. The government has countered by showing how funds from HF have found their way into the coffers of the terrorist group.

One of the unindicted co-conspirators in the case is the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The group has affiliations with the Muslim Brotherhood's Palestinian Committee which funneled monies to Hamas suicide bombers and their families.

The defense begins to present its case on Tuesday. Excellent background on the case can be found here. The Dallas Morning News has been giving extensive coverage to the trial.