Posted on 05/03/2005 12:42:00 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
The conviction last week of Ali al-Timimi, an American-born Islamic scholar, on terrorism charges thrust the so-called "Virginia Paintball Jihad" case to the forefront as the federal government's greatest court victory against terrorism.
All told, federal prosecutors counted 10 convictions in the case. Al-Timimi's conviction marked the first post-Sept. 11 case in which the government won a terrorism conviction for actions tied to philosophy and words designed to help the enemy, rather than deeds, such as providing money, equipment or actual combat help to that enemy.
"Until now these people have escaped. It is a very powerful position to be in if you're sanctioning this action, let alone encouraging it," said Tamar Teslar, an analyst with the Investigative Project, an organization that studies militant Islamic organizations.
The conviction focused in part on al-Timimi's teachings and statements, which a jury agreed showed his intent to incite a group of young Muslim Americans to join the Taliban. Some of them went so far as to travel to Pakistan for military training at terrorist camps.
Al-Timimi, 41, who holds a doctorate related to cancer research, now faces life in prison. ..................................snip..........................
U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty of the Eastern District of Virginia conceded the al-Timimi case was unusual in that it focused on his speech, but said it raised no new issues.
Prosecutors relied on a 1969 Supreme Court standard that says "free speech" crosses the line into "criminal conduct" if three standards are met:
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
fyi
about time.....
Absolutely agree. The Left has been screaming for years that 'words can hurt'. Well, that is undeniably true, in fact words and ideas, properly focused, can have greater impact that heavy artillery. So this 'scholar' has a lot to answer for.
There guy was an immigrant to the UK yet there he was politically opposed to the very country offering him sanctuary and a new home
Why does it take so long to rid communities of these (in most cases) malignant parasites?
Could apply to half the citizenry of voting age in the US of A.
I would hazard a guess that, firstly, we need to have the right laws in place, with courts that understand and respect their plain meaning. And secondly, we need prosecutors who are focused on these cases. Once that is all in place, the Mullahs will have to be somewhat subtle in their recruiting efforts.
last time I looked the USA citizenry did not incite bombing and terrorism within their own borders though
The issue for me is not their recruiting, it is the blatant political and militant activism within a county providing them sanctuary. Surely they immediately fail the criteria for entry to the country? immediate deportation should follow.
Good news from the front.
Ever heard the word eco-terrorist. That is most assuredly one group, PETA comes to mind, there are many others and they are indeed citizens. The Uni-bomber would be another as would the recently caught Atlanta bomber another. Hardcore Demo-crats, leftists comm-unists, and ideologies we may not even be aware of, have sufficient desire and reasons to advance their agendas in any way that brings about the desired conclusion, the destruction of the United States of America as the Founding Fathers saw it.
Are you suggesting that these fringe groups are representative of the politically active and opposed in the USA? Or that this excuses immigrants there conduct and behavior? i don't see where your argument is going?
Why let his degree go to waste. Lets use him for cancer research!!!
If you go back to my original comments in #7 my point is very clear. There have been and always will be large groups of the population in total disagreement with the Constitution of the United States of America. Thus living under the banner of freedom and liberty provided by that document and the blood of all those who fought a died to preserve that freedom and liberty and yet opposing the very principles upon which the nation was founded.
Those groups are parasites and hypocrites, unworthy of the freedom they so casually dismiss while fighting to change the very fabric of this country. Bombing and terrorism as brought up in your #9 have little or nothing to do with my point. As the original article points out with the situation in England, it is philosophy and words that foment the acts of violence among the whacko fringe, and I'm saying their are a very large number of fomenters in this country based on ideologies mentioned.
I find this definition very disturbing. Every patriot who participated in the American Revolution would have been tossed in prison under this standard. Where does it end? What value is are the First and Second Amendments if this is the standard?
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