A Holocaust denier has admitted having links to members of Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaida terror network.
Along with his activities as a denier, Ahmed Huber, 73, is believed to be a key figure in coordinating activities between Islamic extremists and European neo-Nazis.
In an interview with JTA, Huber admitted to having met in Beirut on several occasions with bin Laden followers, whom he described as “very intelligent and nice guys.”
A well-known Holocaust denier, Huber helped plan a Holocaust revisionism conference that was slated for earlier this year in Beirut. The conference ultimately was cancelled because of international pressure.
Huber sits on the board of Al Taqwa, a financial company based in the Swiss city of Lugano. Earlier this month, President Bush issued a list of individuals and firms with suspected links to Al Qaida that included both Huber and Al Taqwa.
Huber denied that he or Al Taqwa have helped bin Laden — but told JTA that he is proud to be on the list.
“President Bush is the biggest terrorist in the world,” Huber said.
He also revealed that he plans to address a conference of Holocaust deniers that will be held soon in Tehran.
He added in the telephone interview that the Muslim holy war against Israel already has begun and that “no real Muslim will tolerate a Jewish state in Palestine.”
After the list’s publication, Swiss officials detained two Arab financiers, Youssef Nada and Ali Himat, who were identified as the managing director and executive director of Al Taqwa. The company recently changed its name to Nada Management.
Also this month, Swiss officials and prosecutors in the principality of Liechtenstein took separate action to freeze bank accounts belonging to Al Taqwa.
The Swiss daily newspaper Blick and German Television had reports this week focusing on Huber’s role as a go- between for Islamic extremists and neo-Nazis.
In the Blick report, Huber said the greatest leaders of the 20th century were Hitler and Iran’s late Ayatollah Khomeini. Photos of the two hang in Huber’s office.
The report on German TV showed Huber attending a recent rally of Germany’s extreme right-wing National Democratic Party.
In October, members of the neo-Nazi party made their sympathies clear when they celebrated the Sept. 11 terror attacks against the United States during a demonstration in Berlin marking the 11th anniversary of German reunification.
In banners and speeches on Oct. 3, party members called the attacks against the World Trade Center and Pentagon a justified response to American policy, and protested Germany’s support for America’s war on terrorism.
Huber told JTA that he has been in contact with the National Democratic Party.
“They are brave people who understand that the Holocaust is a big lie,” he said.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
