As the Holy Land Foundation case moves forward, more details are emerging about the involvement of the Council on American Islamic Relations—including more than one connection to Al Qaeda: Al-Qaida Angle Emerges in CAIR-Tied Terror Case.

CAIR has repeatedly denied any association with Hamas. But don’t believe it, says retired FBI special agent John Vincent, who has worked Hamas cases in Chicago, where IAP is based. “There is no question CAIR supports Hamas,” he told me.

He says the evidence clearly shows that the group has aided and protected the operations of groups supporting Hamas, such as IAP and the Holy Land Foundation. Vincent argues that CAIR has managed to hide its true agenda of supporting militant Islam under the “cover” of civil-rights advocacy.

Even more disturbing are the links that CAIR’s forerunner, IAP, has maintained with al-Qaida. In 1989, IAP dedicated its annual convention to the late Abudullah Azzam, the fiery Palestinian cleric and mentor of Osama bin Laden. And newspapers published by IAP have often contained articles praising Azzam, who called for bloody jihad against Israel and its supporters.

The papers also celebrate Hamas suicide attacks on Israelis and publicize Hamas calls for the death of Israel. Awad helped edit the IAP rags before co-founding CAIR.

But that’s not all.

Up until 2001, a Palestinian by the name of Ghassan Dahduli served as an IAP vice president. His name was listed in the address book of bin Laden’s personal secretary, Wadi al-Hage, who is serving a life sentence in prison for his role in the U.S. Embassy bombings in Africa. The address book was introduced as evidence at his trial.

Dahduli, who refused to cooperate in the 9/11 investigation, was deported to Jordan soon after the attacks. He served under CAIR’s Ahmad when Ahmad was president of IAP from 1991 to 1994, the year he left to start up CAIR.