Jan 30, 2006 8:52 pm US/Central
Hamas Election Victory Has Dallas Ties
by Robert Riggs
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
There's a Dallas connection to the Hamas stunning electoral victory.
The family ties between a key Hamas leader and a civil engineer at Dallas City Hall became the subject of a terrorism investigation here a year ago.
Mufid Abdulqader led a secret life at Dallas City Hall until a CBS 11 investigation unveiled his background a year ago.
By day Abdulqader had practiced civil engineering for the city with an expired license.
By night Abdulqader sang in a band that praised Islamic Jihad in performances across the U.S. for at least nine years.
The City of Dallas knew none of this and failed to heed the FBI's warning that Abdulqader's half brother was, Khaled Meshal.
Now Meshal, who lives in exile in Syria, has emerged as a prominent leader of Hamas as the political head of the radical Islamic group.
"You have a direct connection from Dallas to Damascus to the Hamas and the Muslim brotherhood right in the center of the heart of the City of Dallas and that's very troubling," said Mark Briskman, Anti-Defamation League.
Hamas' charter is highly anti-Semitic and in effect declares war against Jews across the world.
Abdulqader was fired from the city after being indicted on terrorism charges. He has pleaded not guilty.
Videos recorded Abdulqader's band advocating the destruction of the state of Israel and glorifying the killing of Jewish people.
His family relationship with the Hamas leader is expected to be a major topic of a federal trial here later this year.
(CBS 11 News)
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