Arwah Jaber update. “Jaber Indicted By Federal Grand Jury: UA student allegedly tried to join Palestinian jihad,” from Arkansas’ Morning News, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist:
FAYETTEVILLE — A University of Arkansas graduate student accused of trying to join the Palestinian holy war against Israel has been indicted by a federal grand jury.
Arwah Jaber, 33, was indicted on charges of knowingly attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year, failing to disclose an alias on an application for naturalization in 2000 and an application for a passport in 2002, and using a fake Social Security number on a credit card application in 2000.
He is set for arraignment Sept. 6. before a federal magistrate judge in Fayetteville….
Jaber was pulled out of line and arrested June 16 at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. The government contends he was flying out to join the jihad. Jaber maintains he was going to visit relatives.
Jaber, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in the West Bank town of Yamoun, allegedly told federal authorities he told his doctoral professor and others at the university he was going to Palestine to “fight for freedom, peace and justice.”
The State Department has designated the Palestinian Islamic Jihad as a terrorist organization.
Jaber maintains he was frustrated with his professor over delays in graduating and made the statements in an effort to sway the teacher into approving his degree. He contends he didn’t mean any of it and recanted the statements under questioning by FBI agents.