Prosecutors strongly oppose Damra's request, saying that the group is affiliated with a who's who of terror funding. Ahmed Yousef, the group's leader and the man who invited Damra, has been identified by some as the chief of Hamas operations in the United States.

....In his request, Damra said he wanted to visit the Virginia group to attend an interfaith meeting between Orthodox Jewish rabbis and Muslim imams.

But Steven Emerson, a terrorism analyst with the Investiga tive Project in Washington, D.C., said it's highly unlikely that such a meeting would happen at the United Association for Studies and Research.

This "is a group that has called for the killing of Jews, that has praised suicide bombings," Emerson said. A man who answered the phone at the United Association's office Thursday declined comment, but the group has denied terror ties.

....Among other things, he has been linked to:

A Brooklyn, N.Y., group that initially supported mujahadeen fighters in Afghanistan, but later grew into part of Osama bin Laden's fund-raising effort for al- Qaida.

Fund-raising for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The 1993 World Trade Center bombing, for which he was among 172 unindicted co-conspirators.

Damra, who could be deported if convicted, has denied any wrongdoing.

....But his request to visit the Virginia group means his ties to terror remain, Emerson said.

"He thinks somehow this parade of interfaith efforts will give him some sort of protection," Emerson said, "which is manifestly absurd." [Cleveland.com] I commend the Plain Dealer for staying on top of this guy, who just keeps getting more and more brazen. At best he has abused the courtesy of this country for over ten years, at worst he is truly dangerous. I vote for the latter.

If he does get deported, I am aware of a job opening with Hamas.