Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C.

Despite protests and threats from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, four Congress members went ahead with a press conference at the U.S. Capitol yesterday to call for an investigation of the Muslim lobby group based on documents uncovered in the explosive new book "Muslim Mafia," by WND Books.

Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., received a fax Tuesday from CAIR's in-house legal counsel, alleging the authors of the new book, set for release today, had engaged in "criminal actions" and warning that a report already had been filed with law enforcement

authorities.

The faxed letter from CAIR's Nadhira al-Khalili noted the Washington-based group had been forewarned of the press conference Myrick held with fellow members of the House anti-terror caucus leadership, Reps. John Shadegg, R-Ariz., Trent Franks, R-Ariz., and Paul Broun, R-Ga. The lawmakers called for an end to political lobbying by groups, such as CAIR, operating as fronts for the Egyptian-based Muslim Brotherhood, the parent of al-Qaida and Hamas.

Myrick says in the foreword to "Muslim Mafia" that the WND Books publication – based on a six-month undercover operation that produced 12,000 pages of documents – finally provides the "proof" that radical Muslim "agents living among us have a plan in place, and they are successfully carrying out that subversive plan."

Holding up the book, Shadegg said, regarding the CAIR fax, "Interestingly, whenever books like these are published, there are efforts to intimidate those who publish them and write them. And efforts to intimidate those who speak out in support of them."

Shadegg continued, "We need an informed body politic, we need informed Americans to understand the threats against this country. And knowing the kinds of things that are in this book are very important. The latest book provides stunning documentation of many of the things that are said in it about CAIR."

Franks said the anti-terror caucus fears CAIR has planted "spies" inside Congress targeting sensitive committees dealing with homeland security.

"It's the water inside the ship that sinks it," he warned.

Franks said CAIR and its agents are influencing policies related to the USA Patriot Act, the post-9/11 security measure to help law enforcement crack down on terrorists.

"Muslim Mafia" uncovered confidential CAIR memos revealing that in one year alone, officials with the terror-supporting front group made an alarming 72 separate trips to Congress to lobby against the Patriot Act. The same year Congress met fewer than 150 days.

U.S. prosecutors believe CAIR, while claiming to be a civil-rights group, is actually a front group for Hamas and other terrorists. The Justice Department stated in September 2007 during its prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation in Dallas – the largest terror-financing case in history – that CAIR "has been identified by the government at trial as a participant in an ongoing and ultimately unlawful conspiracy to support a designated terrorist organization, a conspiracy from which CAIR never withdrew."

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CAIR's Khalili wrote to Myrick that she may not be aware that authors P. David Gaubatz and Paul Sperry "appear to admit to participating in a plot and scheme that spanned several jurisdictions with the apparently admitted intent to permanently deprive CAIR of its business property. The conspirators seem to admit that through their enterprise they stole thousands of pages of CAIR documents via what could be viewed as conspiracy, larceny and fraud."

The CAIR lawyer told Myrick, co-founder of the Congressional Anti-Terror Caucus, she should "be aware that CAIR has contacted law enforcement authorities and filed a criminal report against those people that we believed have participated in the plot or furthered its goals. CAIR will also pursue civil damages against anyone responsible for defamation, theft of business documents, theft of trade secrets and invasion of privacy."

The publisher of "Muslim Mafia," WND CEO Joseph Farah, responded to CAIR's fax with a letter to Myrick pointing out the CAIR documents were legally obtained by Gaubatz's son, Chris, who went underground as a volunteer intern at the Islamic group's national office for six months.

Farah explained Chris Gaubatz "was asked to shred documents he believed might be criminal evidence … and involve matters of national security. On advice from counsel, he collected those documents and preserved them. None of the documents were 'stolen.'"

"They were, in fact, handed to him by CAIR employees for destruction," Farah wrote to Myrick. "All of the documents are available for review by appropriate law-enforcement authorities and, in fact, some have already been provided to them."

Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz., flanked by Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., left, and Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., right at news conference in U.S. Capitol yesterday

Farah concluded Chris Gaubaz's "patriotic activities within CAIR, an unindicted terrorist co-conspirator, were done on advice of counsel at every step, and were in accordance with District of Columbia and Virginia state law."

According to a Washington attorney, "it is a federal and state crime to participate in the destruction of evidence of a crime if reasonable suspicion exists the documents are evidence of criminal activity."

Khalili, for her part, urged Myrick to investigate "criminal actions of the authors" and "withdraw support from those who appear as if they seek to profit from criminal behavior."

CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper told The Hill newspaper he welcomed scrutiny from the Republican Congress members but said he was disappointed to see them associate with a "hate-monger" like David Gaubatz.

Gaubatz, a counter-terrorism investigator, served as a U.S. Special Forces officer in the Middle East for 12 years. Sperry is a veteran reporter on the war on terror and author of "Infiltration: How Muslim Spies and Subversives Have Penetrated Washington."

"It's a shame to see elected officials take part in a smear campaign based on bigotry," Hooper told the Capitol Hill daily.

According to "Muslim Mafia," Chris Gaubatz gained access into CAIR's inner circle and found himself working alongside Hooper. The two manned a CAIR booth together at a convention, and Hooper became so fond of Gaubatz – who was posing as David Marshall – that he volunteered to arrange a marriage for him.

"If these people weren't so hate-filled, it would be laughable, but unfortunately they have an audience and, given their positions, it's going to get picked up by the hate blogs," Hooper said.

Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., at news conference in U.S. Capitol yesterday

Islam to rule America?

Hooper typically has dismissed accusations against CAIR by assigning motivations of "hate" or "bigotry" to the messengers.

In 2003, CAIR issued a press release accusing WND of "demonizing Muslims" for citing a Bay Area newspaper's report that CAIR's then-chairman, Omar Ahmad, told a gathering of Muslims that Islam was in America to dominate and that the Quran would one day rule over America.

In a phone conversation, Hooper insisted to WND that CAIR had sought a retraction from the newspaper. But when confronted with the fact that the reporter had just told WND she stood by the story and that the editors had not been contacted by CAIR, he abruptly ended the call with, "If you are going to use distortions, I can't stop you; it's a free country. Have a nice day."

Hooper called back, however, and said he wanted to change his statement to say, "We will seek a retraction, and we have spoken to the reporter about it in the past."

In 2006, the issue arose again, however, when Muslim leaders expressed concern to Ahmad that someone from their community could voice such radical sentiments.

Ahmad told the Muslim leaders – and WND in an interview – the attribution was a "total fabrication" and assured them the newspaper, the Fremont Argus in California, issued a "clarification" after he "challenged" reporter Lisa Gardiner.

That seemed to satisfy the Muslim leaders, but Gardiner told WND once again she continued to stand by the story, and Editor Steve Waterhouse said he was confident she got it right.

"She was a good, solid reporter," Waterhouse said of Gardiner. "She was absolutely certain about what he said and what she reported."

Gardiner told WND she was 100-percent sure Ahmad was the speaker and that he made those statements, pointing out nobody challenged the story at the time it was published in 1998.

"She's lying," Ahmad told WND upon hearing Gardiner's defense of the story. "Absolutely, she's lying. How could you remember something from so long ago? I don't even remember her in the audience."

If you're a member of the media and would like to interview Paul Sperry, Dave Gaubatz or Chris Gaubatz, email WND's marketing department or call Anita Jenkins at (703) 398-1137.

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