Western Resistance

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May 1, 2006

US: Islamic Jihad Professor Is Jailed

We reported on April 15 that Sami al-Arian (pictured) had done a deal with US prosecutors, in which he admitted to being involved with a terrorist organisation, Islamic Jihad, in exchange for being deported. Al-Arian had formerly been a professor at the University in South Florida, in Tampa, until his appearance in a TV program by Fox in September 2001, when he was suspended. He was expelled from the university, where he taught computer studies, in February 2003 after he was indicted on charges of supporting and financing a terrorist organisation.

We reported on December 7 that Al-Arian had been found guilty on some of the charges laid against him, but on 9 out of 17 charges against him, the jury were undecided. They had similar reservations about his co-defendants, Palestinians Sameeh Hammoudeh, Hatem Fariz and Ghassan Ballut.

The jury had acquitted al-Arian of conspiracy to murder and maim, and of several charges of providing material support to a terrorist group. He was also acquitted of obstruction of justice. They were undecided about charges of racketeering conspiracy, money laundering, conspiracy to provide material support, and conspiracy to make and receive contributions of funds, goods or services to terrorists.

Now, according to Reuters and the BBC, Sami al-Arian has today been sentenced by a court in Tampa, Florida, this time for four years and nine months. Because he has been in prison since his arrest in February 2002, he will only serve nineteen months in jail. He will be deported following his release from jail.

U.S. District Judge James Moody was harsh in his criticism of the former professor, saying that he had done nothing to prevent the atrocities being perpetrated by Islamic Jihad in Israel. He said: "You lifted not one finger. To the contrary, you laughed when you heard of the bombings."

He continued: "You are a master manipulator. The evidence is clear in this case. You were a leader of the PIJ." (Palestinian Islamic Jihad)

He was sentencing al-Arian for the single count of conspiracy to provide services to the PIJ, a group designated as a terrorist entity by the US State Department, for which he had signed a guilty plea on April 14.

48-year old al-Arian was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents, and grew up in Egypt. He has lived in the US for 30 years. His five children are all US citizens, because they were born in the country. Where al-Arian will deported is unknown.

Following the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Paul Perez said: "I'm pleased he got the maximum. I think the judge got it."

Sameeh Hammoudeh and Ghassan Ballut were found not guilty on all 36 charges against them. Hatem Fariz, the other co-defendant was acquitted on 25 of his 33 charges. He will go on trial in August, unless he makes a plea deal with the US government.

According to the BBC, al-Arian was "one of the founders of a think-tank, the World Islam and Studies Enterprise, and a charity, the Islamic Committee for Palestine, formed in the late 1980s and 1990s to support an independent Palestinian state."

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at May 1, 2006 12:35 PM

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