The acquittal on December 6 of Sami al-Arian, a former professor of computer engineering at the University of South Florida, on eight counts relating to terrorism was a setback not only for the Department of Justice and the Bush administration, but also for the struggle against Islamic extremism itself. That the Florida jury deadlocked on another nine counts, however, leaves open the possibility of his ultimate conviction.

So why did Sami al-Arian get away with 17 counts of assisting a terror group and conspiring to commit murder relating to the attacks carried out by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Israel? This, in spite of the fact that his trial did clarify once and for all - after years of denial by the professor and his supporters - establish that Al-Arian was a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad - a group that engages in terrorist acts including suicide bombings in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank, approved of its goals and methods, and raised money in the United States to finance its activities.

After all, at the time of the indictment, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad was responsible for the murder of over 100 innocent people in Israel and the Occupied Territories, including at least two young Americans, Alisa Flatow, age 20, and Shoshana Ben-Yishai, age 16. And clearly, al-Arian's help in funding the murders should warrant his being found guilty since raising money for a terrorist group that committs murder, is a federal crime every bit as much as personally planting the bomb.

So, what role - if any, did the trial judge play in the terrorist-supporting al-Arian escaping justice for his participation in the murder of Israeli civilians and American citizens? Read Ronald Radosh's piece in The Weekly Standard and find out about the judges' role and why Sami al--Arian got off this time...
And as one would expect from the ilk of the ACLU or Amnesty International - defenders of the rights of terrorists, AI is urging the US authorities to ensure that Sami Al-Arian is afforded humane treatment and due process in any further proceedings taken against him. And what humane treatment and due process was afforded those innocent Israelis murdered with the help of funds raised by al-Arian? Related:
STATEMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL - INDICTMENTS, February 20, 2003
Failed case seen as blow to terror war
A Tangled Web of Palestinian Terrorism and Politics

Not directly related but will make you feel good: Video of an AC-130H/U Gunship blowing hell our of an Islamic Terrorist camp in Afghanistan. (Scroll down at site, video should startup immediately)

Previously posted at Hyscience

Posted by: Richard@hyscience at 04:30 PM | Comments (18) | Add Comment
Post contains 444 words, total size 4 kb.

1 I'm beginning to think that Floridistanis are about as stupid as Californistanis on average if they let this man off when the evidence is so clear. I wonder if New Yorkistanis would have done it any differently?

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at December 29, 2005 04:53 PM (0yYS2)

2 Florida is indeed full of idiots.

Posted by: IO ERROR at December 29, 2005 05:21 PM (vhWf1)

3 Agent Brown will be keeping an eye on him.

Posted by: Agent Smith at December 29, 2005 09:05 PM (TP7SP)

4 Not all Floridians are idiots, just the ones that have moved here from up North.

Posted by: Thirdee at December 29, 2005 09:51 PM (sH6Sa)

5 Oh yeah. This Floridian wishes she was on the jury.

Posted by: Thirdee at December 29, 2005 09:56 PM (sH6Sa)

6 Personally, I wish we could specify *inhumane* treatment for certain types of criminals, like this guy assuming he's guilty. But suggesting that any suspect doesn't deserve due process is real bad. Hands off the Rule of Law--it's one of the things that makes the U.S. not suck. I also wish we could adopt a law similar to what Putin is trying to establish in Russia, clamping down on foreign NGO's. I'm getting real sick of European pansies coming here and agitating over how we treat our thugs and thieves as if it were some legitimate concern of theirs.

Posted by: ShannonKW at December 30, 2005 03:05 AM (dT1MB)

7 Amen, Thirdee! I'm a Floridian. Have been all my life. Please consider that al-Arian and those who let him go are from that part of Florida which is a bastion of liberalism (aside from Dade county as well). Judge Greer who was hell bent from day one to allow Michael Schiavo do whatever he damn well pleased was from the same area of Florida, the middle west coast. Send these f**kers to Jacksonville and see how well they fare. We'll eat 'em for lunch and then go out for dessert. While I'm originally from south Florida and love the weather down there, I'll suffer the bitter winters here (it's all relative) to remain among those where the men are men and the women can shoot.

Posted by: Oyster at December 30, 2005 05:53 AM (YudAC)

8 We also have a local population of immigrants here, mostly from the New York and Chicago areas, and they brought their infection of liberal stupidity with them. We also have a few "halfbacks", who are Yankees who moved to Florida then moved halfway back, and landed here. Proof of the superiority of Southern culture is that we tolerate them though there is no reason to.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at December 30, 2005 08:16 AM (0yYS2)

9 I thought Florida was full of Jewish snowbirds from NY who never went back - now even they think terrorism is ok, as long as it is just against Israel?

Posted by: Glenmore at December 30, 2005 08:25 AM (80Dji)

10 From my experience Glenmore, that's about the size of it.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at December 30, 2005 09:42 AM (0yYS2)

11 hahahahah! suck on this one you kufrs!

Posted by: Jawa and all Jawa supporters....Suck! at December 30, 2005 01:54 PM (n3EHA)

12 We'll get the jihadi pig bastard before its all over with. Bwaaahaaaahaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!Yeah, and it will feel great to put his ass behind bars!

Posted by: jesusland joe at December 30, 2005 07:44 PM (rUyw4)

13 Agent Smith says all of you podlings don't need bars, as your minds are under control already.

Posted by: Agent Smith at December 30, 2005 10:33 PM (HuVhz)

14 Smith, if you folks spent as much time trying to understand what motivates us podlings as you do trying to "understand" what motivates the enemies of this country, then maybe your view of us podlings would change a bit.

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at December 31, 2005 10:35 AM (8e/V4)

15 Someone should ban this idiot before he has the greg effect and chases off real commenters.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at December 31, 2005 11:59 AM (0yYS2)

16 Exactly right, IM. I'm sick and tired of the crap, myself. It has gone on way too long.

Posted by: jesusland joe at December 31, 2005 01:15 PM (rUyw4)

17 Agent Smith says, if it were only your fantasy you could see through, you would choose to keep it.

Posted by: Agent Smith at December 31, 2005 06:27 PM (X9zNj)

18 The Al-Arian trial and its results prove unequivically that the legal system cannot fight terrorist networks. The proper response to a possible terrorist operating is to monitor, carefully gather evidence to prove guilt (no skipping over this step!), and when the case is built... ..blow his ass away with a sniper rifle. If the state won't do its job, then the people must. "Vigilantism"'s root word is Vigilance.

Posted by: MegaTroopX at January 01, 2006 10:13 AM (yT/Rw)

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