A four-part series from an undeclared war With powerful warring drug trafficking organizations and Mexico’s military laying siege to one another by 2009, a growing number of citizens saw only one way to survive: by fleeing over the American border. They have arrived with gruesome stories of kidnap, torture, extortion and random brutality at the hands of ruthless trafficking groups. The arrival … [Read more...] about Mexico’s drug war refugees
Permanent Collections
Have Terrorists Crossed?
When border security proponents justify post-9/11 initiatives, scoffing critics often throw down this challenge: Show me a single terrorist who crossed the border. There is Mahmoud Kourani, convicted in Michigan of supporting Hezbollah. But this 2008 article provides a starting benchmark of others who crossed the borders. It includes an addendum excerpting 2015 NPS thesis research. DEARBORN, … [Read more...] about Have Terrorists Crossed?
Iran’s Push into Nicaragua
For Hearst Newspapers MONKEY POINT, NICARAGUA -- The second military helicopter in as many days hovered over the jungle and then landed to a most unwelcome reception from several dozen angry Rama Indian and Creole villagers. Rupert Allen Clear Duncan, a leader of some 400 Creole who live along the shoreline,confronted the foreigners, who were dressed in suits and military uniforms that … [Read more...] about Iran’s Push into Nicaragua
What Will Happen to the Children of the Holy Land Foundation Trial?
By Todd Bensman, special to D Magazine, September 2007 The federal trial of the richardson-based Holy Land Foundation is actually the last of a trio of trials. The five Elashi brothers, all of them immigrant Palestinians, have been indicted or convicted of various forms of supporting the terrorist group Hamas, or of trading with state terrorism sponsors like Syria. The current trial may last … [Read more...] about What Will Happen to the Children of the Holy Land Foundation Trial?
The Quiet American
Ever since fellow agents accused Gamal Abdel Hafiz of refusing to wear a wire to record other Muslims, one of the nation's best counter-terrorism agents lived a nightmare in the glare of the national media. Trouble was; the claims were never true, a small fact that was left out - until now. Gamal Abdel-Hafiz was once one of the most valuable counter-terrorism assets the FBI had. He turned up … [Read more...] about The Quiet American
Iran’s Push into Nicaragua, a few porous borders from Texas
MONKEY POINT, NICARAGUA -- The second military helicopter in asmany days hovered over the jungle and then landed to a most unwelcomereception from several dozen angry Rama Indian and Creole villagers. Rupert Allen Clear Duncan, a leader of some 400 Creole who live along the shoreline, confronted the foreigners, who were dressed in suits and military uniforms that day in March. The villagers … [Read more...] about Iran’s Push into Nicaragua, a few porous borders from Texas
Zion’s Avenger
An Arab Bank versus a Jewish lawyer In the first lawsuit of its kind, Dallas attorney Mark Werbner is suing the biggest bank in the Middle East for $1 billion. It has sparked multiple federal terrorism investigations. Treasury regulators levied $24 million in sanctions against the bank. They all but forced the closure of the bank’s Manhattan operations for “failing to manage the risks … of … [Read more...] about Zion’s Avenger
Hamas’ Rock Star
By Todd Bensman -- Published February 13, 2006 DallasJUST DAYS after his party's upset landslide in the Palestinian elections, Hamas's supreme political leader, Khaled Meshal, was thrust into an unfamiliar spotlight, on the front page of the New York Times and in the looping reels of cable news shows. The whole world seems these days to hang on every defiant word Khaled utters from … [Read more...] about Hamas’ Rock Star
Murder on the High Seas
Seven Cuban boat refugees adrift in a tiny boat, two hurricanes; only six made it ashore in Texas with a plan to never speak of the murdered captain. The six rare Cuban refugees miraculously washed ashore in Texas after two hurricanes with a secret—and a blood pact to protect it. A seventh person had been aboard their tiny craft, the boat’s captain. Suspiciously, no one told immigration … [Read more...] about Murder on the High Seas
Feds uncover Palestinian family’s plot to kill officer and agent
The ruthless mprisoned leader of a Palestinian crime family tried not once but twice to contract the assassinations of the officers who put one of the nation's most prolific retail theft rings out of business. It was an operation with terrorist ties involving a family that hated America FORT WORTH, Texas – At home and off duty, Fort Worth Police Detective Scott Campbell never lets two … [Read more...] about Feds uncover Palestinian family’s plot to kill officer and agent