'My Time In The US Has Come To An End'
Three decades ago Palestinian Islamic Jihad was one of the most well known militant groups in the world. It wreaked havoc on Israel, carrying out numerous suicide bombings that took the lives of more than 100 during the intifada years. One of its leaders had taught at the University of South Florida and in the wake of his relocation to Syria his colleague who taught at the same university, Dr. Sami al-Arian, became the center of a terrorism investigation. Al-Arian was an unexpected presumed jihadist. He was a known civil rights activist who was invited to the White House, and had ties to congress and top GOP operatives. In 2000 he campaigned for Muslims to vote for George W. Bush.
Eventually charges were brought against al-Arian in 2003 on suspicion of supporting Islamic Jihad through U.S. Muslim advocacy groups he co-founded. It was the first major post 9/11 terror trial. Still the case was flimsy. In 2005 al-Arian was acquitted of all charges. But his difficulties did not stop. Al-Arian remained in federal custody while the justice department prepared to mount another terror investigation against him.
In 2006 al-Arian signed a plea agreement, admitting to no material support to terrorism, but conceding to knowing three individuals in alleged association with Islamic Jihad. As part of the agreement, al-Arian said the terms stipulated he would not have to testify in any further cases and at the end of his imprisoned he would be deported. Al-Arian had presumed the Justice Department would seek his testimony regarding one of the men he conceded to knowing in the plea deal.
Then in 2007 the Justice Department did ask al-Arian to testify in a terror case. When al-Arian refused citing his plea agreement, he was held in contempt for 18 months. After completing that term, he was sentenced to again on another contempt charge from the same case. Claiming the Justice Department was violating the arrangement made with him, Al-Arian underwent a hunger strike while in prison. In 2008 al-Arian was transferred to home arrest in his northern Virginia house where he remained until five days ago when he was deported to Turkey.
Source: mondoweiss.net