Follow the Money

THE antiwar group Not In Our Name has attracted a lot of attention in recent months by publishing a “statement of conscience” in newspapers across the country. The organization purchased two full pages in the January 27 New York Times to run the statement, which assails the Bush administration for “unleash[ing] a spirit of revenge” after the September 11 terrorist attacks and embarking on a course of “war abroad and repression at home.” The letter was signed by hundreds of celebrity endorsers, including the actors Ed Asner, Martin Sheen, and Marisa Tomei; writers Kurt Vonnegut, Alice Walker, and Barbara Kingsolver; musicians Graham Nash, Pete Seeger, and Mos Def; and politicians A1 Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

The combination of well-known names and high-profile ad placement has made Not In Our Name a leading player in the antiwar movement. Yet relatively little attention has been paid to Not In Our Name’s financial support network. A look at that network shows that the group relies on tax-exempt foundations that in the past have been—and today still are—affiliated with a variety of radical causes, including the defense of convicted murderer Mumia Abu-Jamal, support for Fidel Castro’s regime in Cuba, and involvement with figures linked to Middle Eastern terrorism.

About the Author

Byron York

Byron York is a former White House correspondent for National Review.

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THE antiwar group Not In Our Name has attracted a lot of attention in recent months by publishing a “statement of conscience” in newspapers across the country. The organization purchased two full pages in the January 27 New York Times to run the statement, which assails the Bush administration for “unleash[ing] a spirit of revenge” after the September 11 terrorist attacks and embarking on a course of “war abroad and repression at home.” The letter was signed by hundreds of celebrity endorsers, including the actors Ed Asner, Martin Sheen, and Marisa Tomei; writers Kurt Vonnegut, Alice Walker, and Barbara Kingsolver; musicians Graham Nash, Pete Seeger, and Mos Def; and politicians A1 Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

The combination of well-known names and high-profile ad placement has made Not In Our Name a leading player in the antiwar movement. Yet relatively little attention has been paid to Not In Our Name’s financial support network. A look at that network shows that the group relies on tax-exempt foundations that in the past have been—and today still are—affiliated with a variety of radical causes, including the defense of convicted murderer Mumia Abu-Jamal, support for Fidel Castro’s regime in Cuba, and involvement with figures linked to Middle Eastern terrorism.