[link|http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0110040341oct04.story?coll=chi%2Dnews%2Dhed|Cause for cynicism].

Excerpts:

About 18 months ago, FBI and Jordanian intelligence agents tried to question the charity's co-founder and former treasurer about his fundraising and associates, but he refused to answer questions and soon left the U.S., according to his attorney.

Earlier this week, Treasury Department officials said they are considering whether to freeze Global Relief's assets as part of the U.S. effort to choke off the finances of Osama bin Laden, who is suspected of orchestrating the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

A mid-1990s Global Relief list of audiotapes for sale, made available by investigative journalist Steven Emerson, shows the charity was touting a tape that explained the ideas of bin Laden's now-deceased mentor, Abdullah Azzam, a Muslim scholar and military figure.