Sami Al-Arian – USA & Kuwait – World People's Blog

Linked with The Long Ordeal Of Sami Al-Arian (or the same: countercurrents.org April 6, 2007).
versus:
SITE Search for International Terrorist Entities, their ‘Sami Al-Arian Fact Sheet’ of February 20, 2003.

I also want link this case with the one of Akbar Ganji – Iran (being released on October 10, 2006). Watch yourself their similitudes.

First my comment: This is an exemple of the difficult thruth finding for people outside the Mix ‘The USA and its Terrorists’. My biggest difficulty with all this: I have not a slice of confidence in the American ‘war-on-terror’ justice. This, because the US mix up constantly justice and power play, being NOT able to separate the two items. No excuse for a civilised nation.

But just read both sides claiming innocence versus charges:

Sami Al-Arian said: « I do not support that. I said that over and over again. … Morally, religiously, Islam is against the killing of any civilian, of any mother, of any father, of any ethnicity, and I do not support, you know, Palestinians being killed by the Israeli army ».( St. Petersburg Times online).

Sami Al-Arian - USA & Kuwait.jpg

Sami Al-Arian – USA & Kuwait

Sami Amin Al-Arian (Arabic … ) (born January 14, 1958 in Kuwait) is a Palestinian-American computer engineer who was convicted of conspiracy to help Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Al-Arian, a former university professor, was arrested by the United States government in 2003 on charges of funding terrorists. He was acquitted on eight of the 17 charges against him last December after a six month trial with three co-defendants. On April 14, 2006 Al-Arian pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to provide services to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and agreed to be deported. In return, federal prosecutors agreed to drop the remaining eight charges against him. Al-Arian was sentenced to the 57 months in prison and given him credit for time served. He is to serve the balance of 19 months and then be deported … (Read the whole long documentation collected on wikipedia).

The following articles are all Excerpts:

… Amnesty International wrote to the US authorities on 17 July 2003 calling for a review of the pre-trial detention conditions of Dr Sami Al-Arian, aspects of which it said appeared to be « gratuitously punitive » and to breach international standards … (full text, July 30, 2003).
… During its 10-year investigation of Al-Arian and defendants Ghassan Ballut, Hatim Fariz and Sameeh Hammoudeh, the FBI intercepted 472,239 telephone calls on 18 tapped lines, Myers said. None involved any discussion of an attack against the United States. Nor did any conversation show advanced knowledge of any attack in the Middle East. Myers, the FBI case agent, has been on the stand for four weeks, mostly sitting silently as prosecutors read from hundreds of transcripts of intercepted calls that are in evidence. They included calls from 1994 showing Al-Arian struggling to keep the Islamic Jihad from falling apart during a financial crisis and calls showing other defendants funneling money to the Middle East … (full text, Aug. 24, 2005).
NO CONVICTIONS: The former USF professor and his co-defendants relieved after long, complicated case. DEADLOCK: Jurors can’t decide many counts. « Evidence making these guys terrorists just wasn’t there » … A massive federal prosecution against Al-Arian, 47, and three other men accused of financing and promoting Middle East terrorism collapsed Tuesday when jurors found Al-Arian not guilty on eight counts and a judge declared a mistrial on nine others. Two of Al-Arian’s co-defendants were acquitted entirely, and a third was acquitted on most counts, with jurors deadlocked on several others … (full text, December 7, 2005).
The Sami Al-Arian Case – In his plea deal, what did Sami Al-Arian admit to? Buried within legalese: an admission that he continued to aid relatives and colleagues associated with PIJ after it was designated a terrorist group. By MEG LAUGHLIN, Published April 23, 2006: TAMPA – As the news of Sami Al-Arian’s plea agreement broke last week, Tampa freelance writer Jim Harper was surprised to see he was part of it … There was never any evidence in the trial to show that Al-Arian or his co-defendants were involved with any violent acts … (full text, April 23, 2006).
… Former Florida University professor Sami al-Arian was today sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for aiding the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad … In his ruling, Moody harshly criticized al-Arian for doing nothing to stop bombings perpetrated by Islamic Jihad … (full text, May 1, 2006).
… Former Florida professor Sami al-Arian declined to answer questions before a federal grand jury in Alexandria last month, according to documents unsealed in federal court in Tampa. Arian, who was acquitted in one of the nation’s highest-profile terrorism cases but then pleaded guilty to a single charge, believes his life would be in danger if he testified, his attorneys told a judge … (full text, Nov. 14, 2006).

But he said also: in arabic, 1988 and 1990: « God is One, Mohammed is our Leader, the Koran is our Constitution. Struggling in the cause of God is our way. Victory to Islam, death to Israel. Revolution, revolution until victory. March, march towards Jerusalem. There is no deity but God. Mohammed is the Messenger of God. God is great. Victory to Islam » …
His explanations: When he said « jihad, » he says he did not mean « holy war. » He meant « effort » or « struggle, » and he says the Koran teaches that « the greatest struggle is against yourself — your whims, your desires, your habits, your weaknesses. » When he referred to « the sons of Israel » as « monkeys and pigs, » he says he was quoting from a passage in the Koran about those who earn the wrath of God. When he said « Damn America, » he says he didn’t mean it literally: « I was very surprised to hear myself say that, and I’ve never said anything like that again. » Though Al-Arian says he won’t say « Death to Israel » now, he maintains it is a « racist, apartheid state » that « has no moral or legal right to exist. » « I despise Israel, » he said in an interview last year. « I wish it would go away tomorrow. There are many Jews who do not support Israel. It’s unfair to the Jews as much as it’s unfair to anybody else. » When he said « Death to Israel, » he says he did not wish violence on Jewish people and would never say it now because, « I’d be misunderstood. » etc. etc. … (St. Petersburg Times online).

My comment: I also condemn very sharply, in hardest words, the USA for their aggressif behavior in the world. Nobody would say I am a terrorist, even if I am ready to send Bush and co. immediately on the moon. The right question is: What is Bush and co saying about their adversaries, WITHOUT being jailed?

Read and listen:

Criminalizing Solidarity: Sami Al-Arian and the War of Terror (Part 1), by Charlotte Kates, The Electronic Intifada, 4 April 2007;
Criminalizing Solidarity: Sami Al-Arian and the War of Terror (Part 2), by Charlotte Kates, The Electronic Intifada, 4 April 2007;
Robert Fisk: The true story of free speech in America, This systematic censorship of Middle East reality continues even in schools, Published: 07 April 2007;
As 60 day hunger strike ends, N.C. protest demands: Free Dr. Sami Al-Arian, March 30, 2007;
Dr Sami Al-Arian: Political Prisoner, March 27, 2007;
Dr. Sami Al-Arian 2002 anti-war appeal (interview);
Sami Al Arian-and the Elitist University Connection;
« USA mot Al-Arian » / « USA vs Al-Arian » (in norwegian);
O CANADA! GIVE SAMI AL-ARIAN ASYLUM, March 21, 2007.