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Herald Today - Oct. 12, 2005
Prosecution winding down in Al-Arian’s
terror support trial
TAMPA, Fla. - Prosecutors working to prove that a former college professor was a key figure in a notoriousPalestinian terrorist group moved closer to wrapping up their case in a federal courtroom on Wednesday (10/12/2005).
After more than four months and over 70 witnesses, U.S. attorneys prosecuting fired University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian and three other defendants expect to rest soon after returning on Oct. 24 from a planned break in the trial.
The 47-year-old Al-Arian and the others are charged in a 53-count indictment alleging they worked in the United States to raise money and support the murderous mission of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a State Department-designated terrorist group blamed for more than 100 deaths in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The case was built around hundreds of pages of transcripts of wiretapped phone calls and e-mails, letters and financial records. Prosecutors say the men used the academic think tank, a Palestinian charity and school founded by Al-Arian in Tampa as fundraising fronts for the PIJ.
Prosecutors say the men acted as the communications arm of the PIJ, spreading the word and raising money as they fueled the cycle of suicide bombings.
The men deny they supported violent acts and say they are being persecuted for championing views that are unpopular with the U.S. government.
Prosecutors finished the shortened trial week Wednesday with testimony from an FBI agent about PIJ Web sites and intercepted e-mails that allegedly tie one of the defendants to the terrorist group.
After prosecutors finish, defense attorneys expect to present about three weeks of testimony.
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/12884827.htm
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