Al-Arian's network emerging

Today's Al-Arian update: "Prosecutors work to tie together Al-Arian and co-defendants," from AP, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist:

Federal prosecutors continued today the methodical task of tying together the characters in what they say was a conspiracy operating from Tampa to support and raise money for Palestinian terrorists.

Nafeesah Abdurrashid, a former employee of the Islamic school founded by fired University of South Florida professor Sami-Al-Arian, testified that Al-Arian co-defendant Sameeh Hammoudeh once taught at the school, as did close associates Ramadan Abdullah Shallah and Mazan Al-Najjar.

Shallah, former director of the Palestinian think tank founded by Al-Arian at USF, left Tampa in 1995 and emerged later as the commander of the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Damascus, Syria. Al-Najjar, who is Al-Arian's brother-in-law, was jailed for 3{ years based on secret evidence and deported in 2002.

Al-Arian and Hammoudeh are among the four defendants standing trial in federal court accused of providing material support to terrorists. Shallah and Al-Najjar are among five others named in the 53-count indictment who have not been arrested.

Prosecutors say the think tank, World & Islam Studies Enterprise, known as WISE, the school and a Palestinian charity founded by Al-Arian were fundraising fronts in the United States for the PIJ, a State Department-listed terrorist organization blamed for more than 100 deaths in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The defendants deny any connection to the PIJ and say they are being persecuted for their unpopular pro-Palestinian beliefs.

If that were true, most of today's pundits and Hollywood stars would be standing trial today.

Posted by Robert at June 15, 2005 7:41 AM
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