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The Investigative Project on Terrorism

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The Investigative Project on Terrorism
Project typeResearch group
Duration1995 – present
Websiteinvestigativeproject.org

The Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) is a non-profit research group founded by Steven Emerson in 1995.[1] IPT has been called a prominent part of the "Islamophobia network" within the United States[2][3][4] and a "leading source of anti-Muslim racism"[5] and noted for its record of selective reporting and poor scholarship.[6]

History

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IPT maintains a data center that includes archival information relating to the past activities of known Islamic terrorist groups. They also investigate suspected funding activities and networks of Islamic extremists in the US and abroad. IPT obtains information from a variety of sources, including "websites, list-serves, publications, informants, undercover recordings, government records, court documents, and so on". IPT has provided useful evidence to law enforcement and government agencies, and occasionally provides testimonial evidence during special committee hearings of the US Congress.[1][7]

In April 2006, Emerson organized The Investigative Project on Terrorism Foundation as a nonprofit organization and serves as its executive director. In January 2007, the IRS granted the organization tax-exempt status. The organization's nonprofit status received a great deal of scrutiny from critics. According to an article published in the Tennessean by Bob Smietana, allegations of ties between the newly organized charity, and Emerson's for-profit company, SAE, were brought to the attention of the IRS.[8] It was alleged that the foundation's tax-free dollars were being funneled to Emerson's production company in violation of the law. A spokesperson for Emerson's SAE Productions said the approach had already been vetted by the group's lawyers and declared legal, that it was set up that way for security reasons, and he further explained that Emerson does not take any profits from SAE Productions. No formal charges were made, or disciplinary actions taken against Emerson. The foundation maintained its nonprofit status.[9]

Indictments and trial evidence

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According to an article in the Middle East Forum's Middle East Quarterly, "the IPT has access to information and intelligence to which the government is not privy, and has been instrumental in shutting down more than a dozen Islamic charitable terrorist and nonviolent front-groups since 2001."[10]

In the 2007 and 2008 Holy Land Foundation Trials - prosecution relied on evidence produced by IPT, one of the three groups responsible for much of the analysis of exhibits and the links from Holy Land Foundation (HLF) to Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), and the extended MB network.[11] On May 27, 2009, in federal court in Dallas, "U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis sentenced the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) and five of its leaders following their convictions by a federal jury in November 2008 on charges of providing material support to Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization."[12] As a result of IPT's vast archives on the activities of Hamas front groups in the United States Law enforcement officials commented that IPT had an instrumental role in prosecuting and convicting the Holy Land Foundation, a trial that resulted in sweeping convictions for all defendants in 2008.[10]

Funding

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The fund-raising arm of the Investigative Project on Terrorism is the Investigative Project on Terrorism Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization established in 2006 by Steven Emerson. The Foundation is operated for the most part by SAE Productions, a Delaware-based company that was also founded by Emerson in 1994.[1][13] According to an officer of SAE Productions, the arrangement avoids the need for the kind of public disclosure associated with tax-exemption and is necessary for security reasons: "The very nature of our work mandates that we protect the organization and its staff from threats posed by those that are the subject or our research by preserving the confidentiality of our methods."[14]

An article by Bob Smietana in the Nashville Tennessean says that money is transferred from the non-profit foundation to the for-profit production company, SAE.[15][16] In 2008, the non-profit paid US$$3,390,000 to SAE Productions for what was described as "management services", while Emerson was SAE's sole officer.[15] IPT published a statement in response noting that, "At issue in the Tennessean story is the relationship between the IPT Foundation, a tax-exempt charity, and SAE Productions, a for-profit company run by IPT Executive Director Steven Emerson. The foundation accepts private donations and contracts with SAE to manage operations."[17]

IPT has stated that it "accepts no funding from outside the United States, or from any governmental agency or political or religious institutions".[1] In 2002 and 2003, Emerson received a total of $600,000 in grants from the Smith Richardson Foundation, a conservative-leaning policy research foundation.[15] According to the Islamophobia project of the Center for American Progress, between 2009 and 2012, IPT received $1,409,585 of funding from conservative think tank the Middle East Forum.[18]

Reception

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The liberal think-tank, Center for American Progress (CAP), stated that the IPT was one of ten foundations constituting what it called "the Islamophobia network in America."[2] Robert Marinov and Daniel Stockemer also cited IPT as among the "Islamophobia networks," networks of organizations and their respective propaganda that "are among the 'main sources' generating anti-Islamic sentiments and rhetoric."[3] Deepa Kumar described IPT as among the "leading sources of anti-Muslim racism" promoting the idea "that there is a conspiracy by Muslims to take over the United States" and asserted that Emerson founded IPT "to more consistently spew out conspiracy theories about the Islamic threat."[5] Michael Loadenthal mentioned IPT as an "obvious example" of an organization "represent[ing] thinly veiled political motives typically infused with poor scholarship and extremely selective reporting," though he also acknowledged that IPT provided easy "access to court materials from terrorism trials."[6] The organization has also been regarded as a part of the counter-jihad movement.[19]

Controversy

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In December 2021, it was revealed that Romin Iqbal, at the time the leader of the Columbus chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, was passing confidential information to the IPT, including voice recordings of private conversations. Iqbal was subsequently fired.[20][21][22]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "About The Investigative Project on Terrorism". IPT. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  2. ^ a b Greg Barrett (2012). The Gospel of Rutba: War, Peace, and the Good Samaritan Story in Iraq. Orbis Books. p. 147. ISBN 978-1-60833-113-0.
  3. ^ a b Marinov, Robert; Stockemer, Daniel (June 2020). "The Spread of Anti‐Islamic Sentiment: A Comparison between the United States and Western Europe". Politics & Policy. 48 (3): 402–441. doi:10.1111/polp.12354. S2CID 218955247. Typically referred to in the literature as 'Islamophobia Networks,' these networks and the propaganda they generate are among the 'main sources generating anti-Islamic sentiments and rhetoric. Among the most prominent of such think tanks and organizations are the Society of Americans for National Existence, the Middle East Forum, Stop Islamization of America, Investigative Project on Terrorism, Jihad Watch, David Horowitz Freedom Center, the Center for Security Policy, Act! for America, and the Clarion Project. (citations omitted)
  4. ^ Saylor, Corey (2014). "The U.S. Islamophobia Network: Its Funding and Impact". Islamophobia Studies Journal. 2 (1): 102. doi:10.13169/islastudj.2.1.0099. JSTOR 10.13169/islastudj.2.1.0099.
  5. ^ a b Kumar, Deepa (2012). Islamophobia and the politics of empire. Chicago, Ill.: Haymarket Books. pp. 179–180. ISBN 978-1608462124. [O]ther leading sources of anti-Muslim racism are Pipes's Middle East Forum, Robert Spencer's Jihad Watch, Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer's Stop Islamization of America, Steven Emerson's Investigative Project on Terrorism, and David Yerushalmi's Society of Americans for National Existence. Together, these groups have peddled the notion that there is a conspiracy by Muslims to take over the United States and that Islamists have 'infiltrated' all levels of society. They make no distinction between regular Muslims and Islamists, contending that Muslim Americans have ties to terrorist organizations and want to replace the US constitution with Sharia law. Their defense of America is as dogged as their commitment to defend Israel against Muslims and Arabs ... Emerson then formed the Investigative Project on Terrorism...to more consistently spew out conspiracy theories about the 'Islamic threat.'
  6. ^ a b Loadenthal, Michael (2 September 2015). "Introduction: like finding a needle in a pile of needles: political violence and the perils of a brave new digital world". Critical Studies on Terrorism. 8 (3): 456–465. doi:10.1080/17539153.2015.1094266. S2CID 146164929. Other organisations represent thinly veiled political motives typically infused with poor scholarship and extremely selective reporting. Steven Emerson's Investigative Project on Terrorism is an obvious example. Despite the dubious nature of its founder's scholarship [citations omitted], Emerson's site is an easy place to access court materials from terrorism trials, which one can say is a salvageable, data-silver lining.
  7. ^ Jeffrey H. Norwitz (2009). Pirates, Terrorists, and Warlords: The History, Influence, and Future of Armed Groups Around the World. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. p. 206. ISBN 978-1-60239-708-8.
  8. ^ Bob Smietana (October 24, 2010). "Anti-Muslim crusaders make millions spreading fear - 1 of 2 parts". The Tennessean, a Gannet Co.
  9. ^ Laura Rozen (October 24, 2010). "Nonprofit group's ties to for-profit entity draw scrutiny". Politico.
  10. ^ a b Michael, George (Winter 2010). "Steven Emerson Combating Radical Islam". Middle East Quarterly. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  11. ^ Andrew Cochran (November 29, 2007). "Special Public Event: Panel on Holy Land Foundation & Muslim Brotherhood". Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  12. ^ "Federal Judge Hands Downs Sentences in Holy Land Foundation Case". DOJ Office of Public Affairs. May 27, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  13. ^ Nathan Guttman and Larry Cohler-Esses, The Forward, November 17, 2010, Terror Expert Emerson Feels His Own Heat Over Finances
  14. ^ Ray Locker, Managing director, IPT, Letter to The Forward, November 24, 2010, The Investigative Project on Terrorism Responds
  15. ^ a b c Smietana, Bob. "Anti-Muslim crusaders make millions spreading fear". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015.
  16. ^ John Sugg (Jan–Feb 2011). "What people in Nashville now know about Steven Emerson". Washington Report on Middle East Affairs: 25ff.(subscription required)
  17. ^ "Note to Readers on Tennessean Story". IPT. October 25, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  18. ^ Hendrix, Sheridan (16 December 2021). "What is the Investigative Project on Terrorism, and who is its founder Steve Emerson?". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  19. ^ Aked, H.; Jones, M.; Miller, D. (2019). "Islamophobia in Europe: How governments are enabling the far-right 'counter-jihad' movement". Public Interest Investigations: 49.
  20. ^ "He was a Muslim group leader. For 13 years, he allegedly spied for an anti-Muslim organization". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  21. ^ ""A complete act of betrayal": CAIR-Ohio speaks on firing of Romin Iqbal". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  22. ^ King, Danae. "'A complete act of betrayal': CAIR-Ohio considers legal action after director fired". The Enquirer. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
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