Posted on 02/25/2003 9:07:07 PM PST by Sabertooth
A jailed University of South Florida professor accused of leading the U.S. operations of a Palestinian terrorist group said Monday that he is a "prisoner of conscience" and the victim of post-Sept. 11 hysteria.
Sami Al-Arian made those charges in his first statement since his arrest last week. His 17-year-old daughter read it to reporters outside the courthouse after his scheduled detention hearing had been postponed until next month. Supporters rallied nearby as she spoke.
"I'm crucified today because of who I am, a stateless Palestinian, an Arab and Muslim, an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights," wrote the tenured computer engineering professor wrote, who has long denied ties to terrorists.
"I'm a prisoner because of the hysteria engulfing this country in the aftermath of the 9-11 tragedy, and because there are very powerful political groups which are thirsty for my blood. I'm not the enemy, but the forces of exclusion and intolerance are."
But the 50-count indictment issued last Thursday against Al-Arian, 45, and seven others says he is the U.S. leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and secretary of its worldwide council, a group the government says is responsible for 100 murders in Israel and its territories.
The government also says Al-Arian used USF as a cover to bring Islamic Jihad members to the United States under the guise that they were attending academic conferences and raised money for the group.
Al-Arian and two co-defendants had been scheduled for a detention hearing Tuesday, but a magistrate judge delayed it after their attorneys said they weren't ready. That means Al-Arian, Hatim Naji Fariz and part-time USF instructor Sameeh Hammoudeh will remain jailed without bond until they return to federal court March 24.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Pizzo agreed that the men's attorneys need more preparation time, as the investigation in Al-Arian took at least eight years.
"The complexity of the factual data as well as the length of time (of the investigation) makes this a complex undertaking," he said at the end of the 25-minute hearing.
Another man, Ghassan Zayed Ballut, was arrested in Chicago and is awaiting his transfer to Florida. The other four men who were indicted are overseas have not yet been arrested.
Al-Arian said nothing during the hearing, but looked around the packed courtroom and smiled at family members and supporters. Attorneys for the three men said they were awaiting documents for their cases.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Walter Furr told the judge that the prosecution intends to use evidence gathered from foreign intelligence sources. He would not elaborate outside the courtroom.
Outside the courthouse, about 70 people rallied, all but one in support of Al-Arian and his co-defendants. Many of the people carried signs that read "Free Dr. Al-Arian" and "Injustice to One is Justice to None" and chanted "Free Arian, Put Bush on Trial" and "No Justice, No Peace."
As Al-Arian's wife, Nahla, spoke, supporters held up pictures of Al-Arian hugging two of his five children. She said her husband remains on a hunger strike and has lost 10 pounds. He also is not taking medicine for his diabetes, she said.
"What did he do? What is the crime he did?" she asked. "He's a good man."
A stateless Palestinian? How did that happen. Funny, I thought he was born in Kuwait.
I would say that if we don't want someone like him who claims to be "stateless", and no other country will take a person, then we should be able to fly them out to sea and drop them from 40,000 feet over international waters. If any country cares to object to the practice, let's make THEM take these dirtballs.
Oh dear!
Hey, I like the way you think.
Enough talking. Shoot the SOB!!
al-Arian used his family and students to help him
in his terrorist fund-raising activities.
Wiretaps of al-Arian began in 1989.
The first FBI interview with al-Arian took place in 1990.
(This interview is in the court records.)
al-Arian's main activity was to funnel money
from the Saudi Government to Palestinian terrorists
(evidence of this exists in IRS 990 forms filed by the Saudis).
The Saudis were funding speaking engagements for al-Arian
all across the USA.
He was raising money for every congressman
who was hostile to Israel
(Bonior, for example).
INS is trying to get all Saudi witnesses out of the country by deporting them.
One of the chief defendants, Bashir Nafi,
was actually employed by the headquarters
of one of the Saudi terrorist charities in Virginia.
They waited until he left work before they arrested him
in order not to embarrass the Saudis.
The man who received the Saudi checks from Bashir Nafi
al-Najar, listed as an unindicted co-conspirator #12.
The reason he is un-indicted is that the INS
for the last 6 months
has been trying to find a country to which he can be deported.
When the Gulf states turned them down
they flew him on a government plane to Lebanon.
One wing of justice has been trying to get rid of witnesses
while another wing has been trying to prosecute al-Arian.
The terrorists aided by al-Arian are responsible
for the deaths of more than 100 people
including 2 Americans.
John Ashcroft deleted ALL references to the Saudis in his indictment.
Interesting. Source?
The Pity Party begins. Never leave out a "victim" buzzword when one can be included in your press release.
"Palestinian rights"=the "right" to blow up toddlers at a pizza parlor birthday party, the "right" to blow up elderly people at a Passover seder.
Speaking of rights, doesn't this bozo know that he has the right to remain silent?
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