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Islamic charity chief heading for trial

The judge released several photos Monday the government says incriminate Arnaout.

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- A federal judge Monday ruled there is probable cause to try the executive director of an Illinois-based Islamic charity on charges he lied about the group's alleged links to terrorist groups.

The judge made the decision after seeing evidence that included a photo the government said shows Enaam M. Arnaout, 39, a Syrian-born naturalized U.S. citizen, with Osama bin Laden.

The perjury case against Arnaout and the charity, Benevolence International Foundation, will be assigned to a federal district judge for trial. Judge Ian Levin postponed a detention hearing until Thursday.

The government also presented a letter addressed to bin Laden and one signed with what they said is bin Laden's code name.

The letters and the photos were found on computer disks seized by Bosnian authorities in a March 19 raid of the Bosnia office of BIF and the homes of people connected with it.

Only one of the photos was dated -- in the late 1980s. Defense attorneys argued they were all old and outdated. They also argued that the man shown is not Arnaout.

In addition to the photo with bin Laden, the government showed photos they say show Arnaout with other known terrorists and standing alongside various weapons.

The letters, written in Arabic, include one addressed to "His Excellency the Exalted Sheikh Osama bin Laden" and signed by "Abu-Mahmoud," which the FBI says is Arnaout's alias.

Another addressed to Abu-Mahmoud is signed "your brother, Abu al-Qaaqaa," which the bureau said was an alias used by bin Laden.

Prosecutors also presented evidence that BIF channeled $685,000 to Chechnya during four months in 2000. It said the money went to various terrorist groups, including bin Laden's al Qaeda.

The government's 35-page criminal complaint says Arnaout and BIF made false statements under oath in documents filed this year in a civil lawsuit against various government officials.

The group filed the lawsuit after the government froze its assets last year, suspecting it of supporting terrorist activity.

"BIF has never provided aid or support to people or organizations known to be engaged in violence, terrorist activities or military operations of any nature," the complaint said.

The complaint alleges that BIF supported terrorist groups and individuals, including "direct dealings" with Chechen guerrillas as well as Hezb e Islami, which it said is a military group operating in Afghanistan and Azerbaijan.

Prosecutors said the people who donated to BIF "were victims, not criminals" and most were unaware of the group's activities.

BIF's main office is in Palos Hills, a Chicago suburb.

Matthew Piers, a lawyer for the charity, said Arnaout offered to cooperate with authorities before federal agents raided the foundation last year.

He said the government's searches and seizures of the foundation's assets were unconstitutional, and promised to fight the charges.