INTIFADA: Hamas in the US
INTIFADA: HAMAS in the US, Then and Now is a documentary about the creation and evolution of the HAMAS terrorist organization in the MIddle East and the concurrent development and growth of the HAMAS infrastructure in the United States. On October 7, 2023, HAMAS committed the brutally raped, torture, and murder of 1200 people and kidnapped more than 200 others. In the wake of these atrocities, individuals and groups took to the streets in the US to vow support for HAMAS, espousing false narratives about the terrorist organization and the events of October 7. These false narratives and terrorist rhetoric are echoes of a strategy put in place more than three decades ago, and this podcast seeks to explain the truth about HAMAS and how it has used the United States to serve its purposes for decades.

INTIFADA: HAMAS in the US, Then and Now
is a detailed investigation into Hamas's 37-year presence in the United States. Led by Lara Burns, a former FBI agent and the current head of terrorism research at George Washington University's Program on Extremism, this podcast explores the group's growth, influence, and its ties to the U.S., particularly in the wake of the October 7, 2023 attacks. Burns unpacks the facts to provide a clear and informed understanding of Hamas's role and strategies in America.
Episodes

4 days ago
E9: The Big Surprise
4 days ago
4 days ago
In 2000, with the eruption of the Second Intifada, HAMAS and Palestinian Islamic Jihad's violence became unhinged. Still, there were also developments with the US-based Hamas infrastructure when the family of Hamas victim David Boim filed a civil lawsuit against the HLF and IAP, alleging they were liable for David's death. HLF leader Shukri Abu Baker urged HLF leader Mohamed El-Mezain to destroy material that would be discoverable in that case. In 2001, the FBI conducted a surprise raid on a company related to the HLF and found thousands of secret documents.

Friday Mar 14, 2025
Episode 8- Exiled
Friday Mar 14, 2025
Friday Mar 14, 2025
Assassination Attempts, Prisoner Releases, and Expulsions: This Episode reveals that the late 1990s were a busy time for Hamas leadership abroad and also provides insight into how the CAIR Chairman of the Board was secretly a decision-maker for the HLF, Hamas's US-based charitable front.

Thursday Feb 27, 2025
Episode 7 – Murder at the Bus Stop
Thursday Feb 27, 2025
Thursday Feb 27, 2025
Hamas terrorists shot and killed an American teenager at a bus stop in 1996 in a brutal, senseless act of murder. As Israel and the Palestinian Authority struggled to maintain peace amidst the violence, the United States released Mousa Abu Marzook from custody and deported him to Jordan where he joined other Hamas leaders like Khalid Mishal. Hamas escalated its violence by dispatching a triple suicide bombing on a crowded pedestrian mall in Jerusalem where many young US citizens were socializing.

Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
Episode 6: The Engineer
Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
In 1994 and 1995, HAMAS's famous bomb-maker, Yahya Ayyash, known as The Engineer constructed powerful bombs that were used to wreak havoc and kill innocent civilians on buses and crowded streets, but his death in 1996 merely made him a revered martyr who was praised and celebrated. Hamas continued its violent terror attacks, and an HLF leader proclaimed one of those terror attacks was "God's destiny."

Wednesday Jan 29, 2025
Episode 5: A Beautiful Operation
Wednesday Jan 29, 2025
Wednesday Jan 29, 2025
In Episode 5, A Beautiful Operation, Burns and Baker continue to analyze the suicide bombings and attacks Hamas employed against Israel in 1995 in an attempt to derail the Oslo Accords. They further delve into the reactions of some of the members of the US-based infrastructure, particularly leaders of the Holy Land Foundation, who referred to the double suicide bombing as a "beautiful operation." Burns and Baker also focus on how, in 1995, the US government acknowledged that Hamas' violence was undermining efforts to achieve peace in the region, and the Clinton administration designated Hamas and its Political Bureau Chief Mousa Abu Marzook as Specially Designated Terrorists (SDTs).

Monday Jan 20, 2025
Episode 4: I Am HAMAS
Monday Jan 20, 2025
Monday Jan 20, 2025
What’s Inside Episode 4: I Am HAMAS
In this episode, Lara Burns and Jennifer Baker revisit a significant event from 1993: a secretive meeting in Philadelphia where key figures from the U.S.-based HAMAS network gathered. They strategized against the Oslo peace accords while continuing to support HAMAS operations under the radar. This meeting highlights a turning point in how HAMAS’s U.S. infrastructure operated covertly to sustain their mission, while HAMAS began a brutal campaign in Israel and the Palestinian territories wherein they began to employ suicide bombings and other vicious attacks, in a full-front effort to derail the potential for peace and to undermine the Palestinian Authority as the representative of the Palestinian people.
The discussion sheds light on the roles of key organizations:
Holy Land Foundation (HLF): Acting as the fundraising and charitable front.
United Association for Studies and Research (UASR): Serving as the think tank and political strategy hub.
Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP): Operating as the propaganda arm to spread the organization’s message.
Through detailed analysis and supporting evidence, Burns and Baker reveal the connections and tactics employed to disguise these efforts.
Discover how HAMAS’s U.S.-based infrastructure adapted and evolved during a critical period in history. This episode provides an unparalleled perspective into the covert strategies used to undermine peace processes and sustain global operations. From documented meetings to key players, the episode uncovers facts that challenge misleading narratives.
Don’t miss this deep dive into a defining moment in the history of HAMAS and its influence. Watch the video podcast for visuals and documentation that enhance the story or listen to the audio-only version available on your preferred podcast platform.

Tuesday Jan 07, 2025
Episode 3 - War Is Deception
Tuesday Jan 07, 2025
Tuesday Jan 07, 2025
Lara Burns and Jennifer Baker from George Washington University's Program on Extremism delve into Hamas's history and activities in the U.S. and abroad. The episode uncovers a key 1993 meeting to derail the Oslo Accords and the founding of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a political arm. The discussion reveals Hamas's strategies for media manipulation, education for radicalization, and how they planned to deceive the American public while opposing Middle East peace efforts. This episode offers an illuminating exploration of subversive tactics and the intersection of charity and extremism.

Wednesday Dec 25, 2024
Episode 3: War is Deception
Wednesday Dec 25, 2024
Wednesday Dec 25, 2024
INTIFADA: HAMAS in the US, Then and Now is a documentary about the creation and evolution of the HAMAS terrorist organization in the MIddle East and the concurrent development and growth of the HAMAS infrastructure in the United States. On October 7, 2023, HAMAS committed the brutally raped, torture, and murder of 1200 people and kidnapped more than 200 others. In the wake of these atrocities, individuals and groups took to the streets in the US to vow support for HAMAS, espousing false narratives about the terrorist organization and the events of October 7. These false narratives and terrorist rhetoric are echoes of a strategy put in place more than three decades ago, and this podcast seeks to explain the truth about HAMAS and how it has used the United States to serve its purposes for decades.

Tuesday Dec 17, 2024
Episode 2: We Came to fulfill the Covenant
Tuesday Dec 17, 2024
Tuesday Dec 17, 2024
INTIFADA: HAMAS in the US, Then and Now is a documentary about the creation and evolution of the HAMAS terrorist organization in the MIddle East and the concurrent development and growth of the HAMAS infrastructure in the United States. On October 7, 2023, HAMAS committed the brutally raped, torture, and murder of 1200 people and kidnapped more than 200 others. In the wake of these atrocities, individuals and groups took to the streets in the US to vow support for HAMAS, espousing false narratives about the terrorist organization and the events of October 7. These false narratives and terrorist rhetoric are echoes of a strategy put in place more than three decades ago, and this podcast seeks to explain the truth about HAMAS and how it has used the United States to serve its purposes for decades.

Thursday Oct 31, 2024
The Architect
Thursday Oct 31, 2024
Thursday Oct 31, 2024
In Episode 1, Ms. Burns and Ms. Baker reveal the inception of HAMAS’s U.S. infrastructure,overseen by “the Architect,” Mousa Abu Marzook, a senior leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and apivotal figure in embedding HAMAS’s operations in the U.S. This episode delves into the organizedefforts within American borders that supported HAMAS through financial, propaganda, andlogistical networks—structures that continue to evolve with global implications. Through exclusiveaccounts and primary evidence, listeners will gain insight into HAMAS’s layered organizationalapproach and its deep connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as Marzook’s dealings withinternational powers.

Lara Burns
Head of Terrorism Research
Lara Burns is a distinguished attorney and retired federal agent with more than 23 years of experience leading teams in complex international terrorism investigations. At the outset of her career as an FBI Special Agent, she led the Department of Justice’s largest terrorism financing investigation and prosecution, United States v. Holy Land Foundation, et al, which led to the conviction of some of Hamas’ top fundraisers in America. She was later hand-selected to serve as an FBI Special Assistant United States Attorney in the NDTX-Dallas office, assigned to the National Security Section, where she litigated a variety of federal criminal cases. She was then appointed as an FBI Supervisory Special Agent and the International Terrorism Program Coordinator for the FBI Dallas office’s counterterrorism program in 2015. In that capacity, she led investigations and prosecutions in various terrorism matters that spanned the globe. She was also an FBI instructor for the majority of her career, teaching federal, state, local, and foreign governments about terrorism financing, money laundering, and interview techniques. She retired from the FBI in April 2023, and worked as a Cyber Security researcher in the private sector until she joined the Program on Extremism in May 2024.