Alleged Hizbollah Fund-Raiser Charged in Michigan
Federal officials charged a Detroit-area man on Thursday with supplying material support and resources to Lebanon’s Hizbollah, saying the move was a breakthrough in efforts toward “choking the funding that supports terrorism.” Jeffrey Collins, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, identified the man as Mahmoud Youssef Kourani, who has been in custody since last year on immigration charges. Collins said Kourani was a “fighter, recruiter and fund-raiser for Hizbollah,” and the brother of its chief of military security for southern Lebanon. He entered the United States illegally from Mexico about three years ago, Collins said, adding that he continued his “substantial” fund-raising for Hizbollah after taking up residence in Dearborn, Michigan, which is home to a large Arab community. Full Story