Investigative Project on Terrorism

The Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) is private sector counter terror agency set up and run by Steven Emerson in 1995. It is essentially a vehicle for promoting Emerson's work but it has also produced several likeminded ideologues, notably Evan Kohlmann. IPT and the David Project are associated organizations, sharing personnel, research and strategy.

Blunders
Steve Emerson claimed that the Oklahoma bombing was carried out by Islamists:

Emerson became widely known in the aftermath of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, when, appearing as an expert on CBS News, he theorized that the attack was the work of Islamic extremists. It turned out that Timothy McVeigh was responsible.

In a lesser known incident, Emerson had promoted the case of Iftikhar Chaudhry Khan, who had claimed he was a top Pakistani nuclear scientist, but turned out to be a "former low-level accountant at a company that makes bathroom fixtures." According to Khan's lawyer "Emerson was helpful in corroborating information and making scientific clarifications." Khan was the source behind an article in The Observer which had claimed that "military commanders have discussed pre-emptive nuclear strikes against India."

Targeting American Muslim groups
Steve Emerson and IPT have launched a campaign against American Muslim groups advocating a modicum of justice in the Middle East. In particular, the American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and Students for Justice in Palestine.

Lobbying
Andrew Cochran worked as a lobbyist for the Investigative Project from 2004-2006, as did Rachel Sullivan and Trey Barnes, both then also lobbyists at Public Policy Partners (which became GAGE in 2005). As well as representing Motley Rice, Trey Barnes has also lobbied for several private military and intelligence companies including Aegis Defence Services, the Strategic Communication Laboratories, Becatech and L-3 Communications. In 2005 the Investigative Project also hired the lobbying firm Baker Donelson which represents several arms and aviation corporations, the Newspaper Association of America and The Washington Post.

Funding
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, which provided $100,000 for Emerson’s documentary film Jihad in America, has also funded a study by Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a think tank spun off by directors of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The same foundation has also provided grants to the Foreign Policy Research Institute of Philadelphia, then headed by Daniel Pipes and an associate, Khaled Duran, who also was Emerson’s collaborator producing Jihad in America. Emerson also received money from the right-wing media tycoon Richard Mellon Scaife, for Jihad in America. During the cold war, Scaife had sponsored anti-communist crusader Brian Crozier and his foundations later provided $2.4 million over several years to American Spectator to pay for negative reporting on Bill Clinton, including hiring a private eye. Millions more went to other anti-Clinton groups.

As for IPT (which was founded after Emerson made Jihad in America), the organisation’s website states that it “does not accept funding from any government agency or religious institutions” and is funded through “charitable contributions from private U.S. individuals and foundations”. Emerson has refused to disclose the identity of these individuals and foundations, however, it is evident from IRS filings made by IPT’s donors that it is funded by many of the same foundations that fund America’s powerful Israel lobby.

In 2002 IPT received $350,000 from the Smith Richardson Foundation, $25,000 from the Reuben and Rose Mattus Foundation and $25,000 from the Blum-Kovler Foundation. That year the Reuben and Rose Mattus Foundation also gave grants to the One Israel Fund (which supports Israeli settlers in the occupied territories), the Jerusalem Reclamation Project and Americans for a Safe Israel.

In 2003 IPT received another $250,000 from the Reuben and Rose Mattus Foundation and $250,000 from the Smith Richardson Foundation. It also received $25,000 from the Samuel and Julia Bernstein Foundation. In 2006 IPT received $5,000 from the Bialkin Family Foundation, and $10,000 from The Ellen and Gary Davis Foundation. It also received $10,000 from the Aufzien Foundation and $6,000 from the Howard and Geraldine Polinger Foundation.

That year The Ellen and Gary Davis Foundation also donated $5,000 to Israel at Heart and $1,000 to Friends of the IDF. The Bialkin Family Foundation supported the Friends of Israel Center, The Jerusalem Foundation, the American Israel Friendship League, and the Anti-Defamation League. The Howard and Geraldine Polinger Foundation supported the Anti-Defamation League, The Israel Project, the American Jewish Committee and the Israel on Campus Coalition.

Principals and Alumni

 * Steve Emerson
 * Evan Kohlmann
 * Rita Katz
 * Ilan Weinglass
 * Daveed Gartenstein-Ross
 * Janice Kephart
 * Matthew Epstein
 * Tamar Tesler
 * Joan Ullman - Covered the 1993 WTC bombing trial for the Investigative Project.

Affiliations

 * SAE Productions - a for-profit organization which has profited from tax-exempt donations to the non-profit IPT.
 * The Spittoon - republishes IPT articles
 * Counterterrorism & Security Education and Research Foundation (CTSERF)

Resources

 * Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball, 'Terror Watch: How Clarke 'Outsourced' Terror Intel', Newsweek.com, 22 July 2008