Nonprofit Organizations and Counterterrorism Measures

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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Texas Law Enforcement Memo: Beware Nonprofits Promoting Tolerance

On Feb. 19, 2009 a Texas based hub for national security data collection, the North Central Texas Fusion System, released a Prevention Awareness Bulletin that cites an increase in tolerance as a security concern, cites non-violent activities relating to Muslims and says "it is imperative for law enforcement officers to report these types of activities to identify potential underlying trends emerging in the North Central Texas region." It attracted national attention and criticism from civil liberties organizations.

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Obama Administration Delays Implementation of Controversial USAID Rule

On Feb. 2, the Obama administration announced that it was delaying the implementation of the controversial Partner Vetting System (PVS) rule and opening a 30-day public comment period. The rule is now scheduled to go into effect on April 3.

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Bill to Require USAID Vetting System Introduced in House

On Feb. 13, 2009 Rep. Ileana Los-Lehtinen (R-FL) and 18 co-sponsors introduced H.R. 1062, the Partner Vetting System Act of 2009. It would mandate a controversial vetting program for grantees receiving U.S. foreign assistance. It mirrors a rule proposed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that would require recipients of U.S.

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International Commission of Jurists Report Calls for Change in Counterterrorism Laws

Mar 2, 2009 by Suraj Sazawal

After a three year investigation of the worldwide impact of counterterrorism laws in 40 countries, including 16 hearings, the prestigious International Commission of Jurists relased a report Assessing the Damage, Urging Action. It finds that many governments, including the U.S., have "confronted the threat of terrorism with ill-conceived measures that have undermined cherished values and resulted in serious human rights violations." It calls on governments to re-asses their strategies and not let temporary measures become permanent.

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Nonprofits' Friend of the Court Brief in KindHearts Case Supports Due Process

On Feb. 27, 2009, ten advocacy groups filed a friend of the court brief in federal court in Ohio that expressed their support for due process rights for nonprofits accused of supporting terrorism. Filed in the case of Kindhearts Charitable Humanitarian Development (Kindhearts) v. Paulson, the brief focuses on the widespread negative impact overbroad counterterrorism rules have on charitable operations.

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Rising Attacks on Aid Workers Linked to Perception of Close Ties to Governments

The rising numbers of attacks against global aid workers is threatening their safety and the humanitarian work they provide in many of the worlds' turbulent areas. Government action that intrudes into the operations of nongovernment organizations has contributed to the problem, according to experts. In the U.S. a proposal to require United States Agency for International Development (USAID) grant applicants to collect and submit personal data on program partners threatens to exacerbate the situation.

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Key Treasury Department Positions Remain Vacant; Holdovers Might Not Be Long-term Appointees

Feb 27, 2009 by Suraj Sazawal

In the last Charity and Security Network Newsletter, we noted that the Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence in the Bush administration, Stuart Levey, was retained by Treasury officials. While this raises concerns about the potential for developing sensible counter terrorism finance policies, it might not be a long lasting situation.

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Foreign Legal Challenges to "Terrorist" Designation Prove Successful

On Feb. 17, 2009 a Swedish court in Malmo acquitted the head of a charity of charges that he financed terrorism through a charitable group. Khalid al-Yousef, the leader of al-Aqsa Spannmal (Grain Foundation), faced a six year jail sentence if convicted. It has also been reported that $150,000 in donations raised by the charity which had been frozen by the United States and Britain will be returned.

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Issue Brief: USAID Must Consider Alternative Vetting Approaches

On Jan. 2, 2009 the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) released a final rule for its "Partner Vetting System" (PVS) for nonprofit and charitable groups. The PVS would require grant applicants to submit detailed personal information on "key individuals" to be shared with the intelligence agencies.

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US Designation Causes British Bank Discontinuing Services to UK Approved Charity

Lloyds TSB, one of London's most prominent banks, was pressured into discontinuing financial services to Interpal, a UK based nonprofit, due to ongoing allegations in the UK and the United State's designation of the charity as a terrorist related organization. Despite two investigations (1996 and 2003) finding no evidence of wrongdoing by the UK Charity Commissions, which monitors and regulates UK based charities, Interpal remains a target of sanctions for terror-related financing.

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