After years of denial, Sami Al-Arian pleaded guilty to a charge of “conspiracy to make or receive contributions of funds to or for the benefit of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a Specially Designated Terrorist” organization. He agreed to accept deportation. In his 2002 defense of Al-Arian, Eric Boehlert wrote: “The al-Arian story reveals what happens when journalists, abandoning their role as unbiased observers, lead an ignorant, alarmist crusade against suspicious foreigners who in a time of war don’t have the power of the press or public sympathy to fight back.” Reality is just the opposite. The al-Arian story reveals what happens when Leftist journalists and academics, abandoning any pretense to being unbiased observers, lead an ignorant, alarmist crusade against patriotic Americans who in a time of war try to defend our country from those whose politics make them the darlings of the Leftist media and academic establishment.
Even all these years later, Josh Gerstein of Politico indulges in some of the same relentlessly biased reporting: “After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Al-Arian was involved in a highly-publicized, confrontational interview with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, who accused the professor of making anti-Israel statements and again raised questions about his think tank’s alleged ties to terror. Al-Arian received death threats after the on-air exchange and was suspended from the university.” This portrays al-Arian — even so many years after he pleaded guilty to being part of Palestinian Islamic Jihad — as the victim: the poor lamb received death threats (although Gerstein has never deigned to notice the huge numbers of death threats that counter-jihadists receive). And Gerstein says that O’Reilly accused al-Arian of making anti-Israel statements while declining to inform his hapless readers that al-Arian is on tape shrieking, “Death to America, death to Israel, jihad, jihad, jihad!”
“Feds drop Sami Al-Arian prosecution,” by Josh Gerstein, Politico, June 27, 2014:
The Justice Department has dropped a long-stalled second criminal prosecution of a former college professor who pleaded guilty to aiding a terrorist group following a high-profile trial in Florida that ended with a muddled verdict almost a decade ago.
Federal prosecutors in Alexandria, Va., filed a motion Friday seeking to dismiss a criminal contempt indictment brought in 2008 against former University of South Florida mechanical engineering professor Sami Al-Arian, who was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents.
In the new filing, prosecutors said they decided to give up on the contempt case after delays precipitated by U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema sitting for years on a critical motion in the case without ruling one way or another.
“In light of the passage of time without resolution, the United States has decided that the best available course of action is to move to dismiss the indictment so that action can be taken to remove the defendant from the United States,” prosecutor Gordon Kromberg wrote.
In a statement released through Al-Arian’s attorney, the 56-year-old former professor’s family hailed the dismissal of the charges.
“We are glad that the government has finally decided to drop the charges against Sami Al-Arian. It has been a long and difficult 11 years for our family in what has ultimately been shown to be a political case. We are relieved that this ordeal finally appears to be at an end,” the family members said. “We hope that today’s events bring to a conclusion the government’s pursuit of Dr. Al-Arian and that he can finally be able to resume his life with his family in freedom.”
During the 1990s, Al-Arian came under suspicion in Florida over possible ties between a think tank he headed and figures in Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In a response to a Tampa Tribune series examining the issue, he denied any connection. After Jewish groups pressed for his removal at USF, professors’ groups complained that his academic freedom was being infringed.
After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Al-Arian was involved in a highly-publicized, confrontational interview with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, who accused the professor of making anti-Israel statements and again raised questions about his think tank’s alleged ties to terror. Al-Arian received death threats after the on-air exchange and was suspended from the university.
In 2003, Al-Arian was indicted in Tampa on a wide array of charges, including racketeering, material support for terrorism and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors accused him of being the American head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and said they had been able to bring the case only because legal changes in the Patriot Act allowed them to share intelligence information with criminal investigators.
His trial (and that of three co-defendants) was repeatedly delayed. It took place over a six-month period in 2005 and ended in acquittals on eight counts and a hung jury on nine other counts.
After prosecutors threatened a re-trial, the former professor pleaded guilty to one felony count of aiding a designated terrorist group and was sentenced to 57 months in prison. He had already served most of that time in custody awaiting trial and thereafter. The plea deal also called for him to be deported from the U.S.
However, before Al-Arian was deported, federal prosecutors in Alexandria, Va., served him with a subpoena calling him before a grand jury to testify about Muslim groups in Virginia and their alleged ties to terrorism. Al-Arian said the subpoena was at odds with his plea deal in the Florida case, but prosecutors and the courts did not agree. He spent most of 2007 in jail on a civil contempt citation.
Jay Boo says
One of Islam’s pillars clearly states that part of the money collected in the Muslim community is to be used for such things as Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
krazy kafir says
Another total capo
Elise says
It’s apparent that many Muslims with degrees in science and engineering rarely use their skills and intelligence to make their world and communities a better place because they would rather be in their make believe Paradise. However, they lack the common sense to question why they can drink wine and have unending sex in Paradise, while it is so taboo on earth. At my university some of the students from the Middle East are book smart and can memorize, but they lack the ability to create something on their own.
Angemon says
Why find the cure for cancer or create an anti-seismic technology when they can instead create ass bombs?
BC says
That is to get them to sacrifice their lives in fighting for Allah. It is obviously a ridiculous con but those gullible brainwashed fools believe it.
BC says
Since when have common sense and religion had any connection?
cheekturner says
@ Elise
“At my university some of the students from the Middle East are book smart and can memorize, but they lack the ability to create something on their own.”
This is something inherent in all of Islam. Muslims never have and never will be creative, logical or possess the ability to do anything but copy/paste, borrow, distort and destroy everything that the West develops for the benefit of mankind.
Claims that Islamic states have developed sciences, art, agriculture and technology are utter nonsense. Those states that have produced anything worthwhile have been occupying oppressors using the talents of the indigenous population (usually Jews, Christians, Bhuddists, Sikhs etc.) to claim to have achieved anything. They are thieves…… and oxygen thieves at that.
Wellington says
Agreed, cheekturner—-and by extension with Elise as well. The word I would use for the Muslim world, treated in the aggregate and over the centuries, for what you and Elise have described is “parasite.” I would contend that no word is more apt than this one.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
Claims that Islamic states have developed sciences, art, agriculture and technology are utter nonsense.
Turnspeak at the level of nation-culture, probably impelled by a twisted sense of guilt and the uncritical need to give a happy explanation for all. Heck, even President Obama extolled the great achievements of Moslem culture in his apology speech in Cairo. He even thanked them for the role Moslems played in building America.
Beth says
“Death to America”
That is Treason. Plain and simple.
Those aren’t just words. He means it. And they are words of incitement to carry out violence.
It is Treason.
miriam rove says
ship him back to same hell whole he came from.m
Charlie Griffith says
What’s this, “…..agreed to be deported”?
Why isn’t he just summarily deported?
Charlie Griffith says
OK, “….the law is an ass.”
cf:
“”If the law supposes that,” said Mr. Bumble, squeezing his hat emphatically in both hands, “the law is a ass – a idiot”.
In fact, ‘the law is an ass’ is from a play published by the English dramatist George Chapman in 1654 – Revenge for Honour:
Ere he shall lose an eye for such a trifle… For doing deeds of nature! I’m ashamed. The law is such an ass.”
Alamoun says
I work at USF and the place is still a hot bed of Islamic extremism. They still talk about Sami Al Arian, he is a martyr for their cause to them. You can’t go a month without the MSA organizing something to protest the existence of Jews. Divest in Israel, stop recognizing Israel, etc. If you ignore them – which becomes necessary because they stake out the major building entrances, they curse at you, call you a damn Jew. If you ask what about the Copts, Assyrians, Aramaens, Greeks, Armenians Hindus and Buddhists that Muslims are still persecuting or trying to erase from history to a degree 1000 greater than anything going on in Israel they categorically deny any of it is true. And its unlikely to even get that far in a conversation since anything but complete approval of whatever they are selling that day results in such seething anger it is visible in their (and their delusional supporters’) eyes.
And it is only going to get worse. Muslim students intentionally opt for majors such as journalism, photography, international relations and such for the specific purpose of controlling the social discourse to bring about their own ends. They’re working on it day and night, they basically own the student organization facilities since they monopolize them late into the evening.
dumbledoresarmy says
Thanks for that insight into the problem. And I’ll bet it isn’t just at University of Southern Florida, nor yet only at universities in the USA or UK.
I bet it’s everywhere.
Perhaps it’s time all of us who are alumni of universities in Western countries started sussing out what’s happening at our alma maters.
And if they *have* been infiltrated and subverted, or are in process, then try to find some way of taking them back.
Do you know anyone else on *your* campus who’s aware of the problem, as you are?
Fightback needs to happen among 1/ faculty 2/ current student body and 3/ alumni (who have *some* clout because they *are* always being touched up for Donations, Bequests, etc).
Conservative / evangelical Christian student groups, Jewish pro-Israel groups, and these days perhaps also Buddhist and Hindu student associations might be good places to start.
I know ACT for America are working with parent bodies to vet textbooks used in primary and secondary schools.
But has ACT for America thought of setting up *student-and-faculty* chapters at Universities?
::thinks::
Have you yourself *contacted* ACT for America to report on the situation at USF as you see it?
You are, so to speak, our – the counter-jihad’s – “spy on the ground”. You are within the gates. You are very very important. Keep your eyes open.
If nothing else…**keep tabs on the b*st*rds!** You know what they’re up to!
PS
I’m not sure I’ve seen your name here before. How did you find your way to jihadwatch, and when?
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
Boy, for all the lawyer’s whining about what an innocent victim al-Arian was, he failed to mention that FBI agent Amal Abdel Hafiz refused to wear a wire to a critical dinner meeting with Sami. The lawyer’s lies would be a lot tougher to sell such a line of bull if the info from the dinner had gone into the court record.
Was the turncoat special agent fired for his insubordination? No, he was promoted and given a raise in pay.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
Oh, and what an irony that the turncoat cop’s surname is that of someone who has completely memorized the Holy Ko-Ran. Amal Abdel may not have it memorized, but he got the jist of the thing.