Man for sale....

There's a trial under way in Dallas that doesn't get a lot of press. It's the United States Government versus the Holy Land Foundation, and it's been fractious and painful.

Israelis have come to the stand, among many others, and a case has been made that HLF was a fundraiser for Hamas and for terrorist purposes.

And among those who testify in defense of HLF are some former State Dept. people, including Edward Abingdon, who hit the stand yesterday. Formerly the second highest ranking intelligence official in that department, Abingdon "claimed he had no knowledge that the Palestinian charity committees which HLF is accused of illegally forming were controlled by Hamas". So says the Dallas Morning News today, on page 3B.

The story goes on to lightly mention, a couple of paragraphs later, that Mr. Abingdon "also worked as a paid adviser for the Palestinian authority".

A bit more info here might be useful. So here it is.

Abingdon was paid $750,000 to take up a position as an adviser to the PA, and $650,000 a year for the next six years, by Yasir Arafat's office.

Add it up. It's over four MILLION dollars.

That's not a paid adviser-- that's a former U.S. civil servant, an American insider, purchased in a pretty package with a ribbon on top.

Abingdon's motivation, in his own words, was about the harsh conditions he saw in the Palestinian territories while the Israeli military occupied them. He supports the HLF, he says, because they were trying to help these Palestinian victims get what they needed.

Allow me to paraphrase the good Mr. Abingdon--

"Never mind that my close personal friend Arafat paid me millions of dollars in just a few years' time, my friends, I am a morally superior person who only concerns himself with what's right. I'm above suspicion and reproach, especially from the vile and disgusting Israeli occupiers who stole our land-- er, sorry, THEIR land. At any rate, how dare you doubt my credibility and decency! I oughta pay someone to scoff at you..."

The defense, to its credit, suggested at cross that Abingdon left the state department because he had become too biased toward the Palestinians. Abingdon was of course aghast at the mere supposition.

The story ends with this-- "The defense case is expected to last several weeks. Several witnesses are expected to testify about the moderate views of Holy Land's organizers and the need for their assistance overseas."

Sorry. Neither their moderate views nor their charitable deeds are what this trial is about--

It's about the Holy Land Foundation sending money to Hamas, a terrorist organization. That's been illegal here since 1995. It's about raising money for bombs and attacks against Jews and Americans, and any other infidels around the world who get in the way. It's about blood on hands.

By definition, if HLF gave money to Hamas, they do not have moderate views.

The Holy Land Foundation was based right here in good old Dallas, Texas, USA. And Edward Abingdon is a fine example of the kind of pompous-ass, morally superior, Bush-hating weasel with which our State Dept. and CIA is riddled.

They keep on surfacing-- Clinton era leftovers who hate Israel and hate Bush and actively work against and undermine national security policy on many levels.