(Fox News) Dana Blanton - The State Department is investigating whether to designate the Turkish Muslim charity IHH, which funded and operated the Gaza-bound "aid" ship Mavi Marmara, as a foreign terrorist organization. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said at a briefing on Wednesday: "I believe we are looking at the IHH, but it's a long process to designate something a foreign terrorist organization." Sources also said that sections of the Treasury Department are actively investigating IHH with the intent to designate it as a terrorist organization, despite some opposition from within the administration. The State and Treasury investigations follow a letter sent to President Obama last month from a bipartisan group of 87 U.S. senators in which they called on the president to keep firm his administration's support of Israel and to investigate the Turkish group. IHH has links to terrorist groups including Hamas and al-Qaeda.
2010-07-16 10:14:57Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive