Hold on a minute…I’m confused. [As usual.-ed.] I thought the government lost its case against former University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian. But now there’s this from the Tampa Trib:
Capping an ordeal that spanned more than a decade, former University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian has reached a deal with prosecutors, agreeing to be deported after admitting involvement with a terrorist organization, an attorney involved in the negotiations said.“My understanding was that he was to plead guilty” to conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization, said William Moffitt, who represented Al-Arian…
“Material support to a terrorist organization” – now there’s a “nice” thing to do in this day and age. Give those impoverished “activists” a helping hand while they oppress women and homosexuals and blow folks up. But now I’m confused again. Didn’t the AAUP, the ACLU, Salon, the Nation and other right-thinking folks tell us Sami was being railroaded? How is it he agreed to leave the country then? The ACLU just knuckle under or could there be that little something called evidence? Nah, why believe that? Obviously the fix was in. We all knw the drill “Bush lied and people died.” Oops, wrong link, wasn’t it? Wouldn’t want to disturb anybody’s weltanschauung.
Meanwhile, David Horowitz has a question.
UPDATE: New friends for Sami in his exile? Or maybe he’ll get involved with public health.
Roger:
I read [somewhere] that the Professor has also agreed to do some jail time. He has been in jail, so the government might agree to time served.
Haven’t followed this case, and wouldn’t know a lick about it had Roger and David the slayer of Daaaangerous Professors brought it to my attention.
I needed to go elsewhere on information superhighway, however, to find out some other facts, such as:
1. Al-Arian was AQUITTED on the eight most serious of the seventeen charges against him in December 2005.
2. Of the remaining nine charges, the jury was hung, with ten of the twelve jurors favoring aquittal on all but one immigration charge.
3. The ACLU took no position on the case until after the jury decision.
Markus:
There are conflicting stories on whether he is admitting any guilt or if he is simply being deported.As Roger reported at the time and today he was aquitted. One fact is definite. He is going away and that is wonderful. I didn’t follow the trial and I can’t say whether he was guilty or any direct participation with terrorist groups. But I heard him enough to know that he objectivly supported the dual track of talking peace while promoting suicide bombings that Islamo fascists engage in so the fact he is leaving the country is FANTASTIC. He won the trial and he is going. Now he will either join the Islamo fascists or we will see if he tries to reform his fellow Muslims from within. If he tries reform he will only be with us for a short time. I think he is more of a joiner, time will tell.
aquited on some charges would be more precise.