Florida Court Summons 100 Israelis to Testify in Islamic Jihad Trial

[chlamor]

Florida court summons 100 Israelis to testify in Islamic Jihad terror trial
By Rupert Cornwell in Washington

19 May 2005

Some 100 Israelis - survivors, witnesses and investigators of Islamic terror attacks in their own country - will travel to Florida next month to give evidence in what is being billed as the most important terror trial in the US since 11 September 2001.

In the dock at the Tampa court will be four Arab-Americans, headed by Sami al-Arian, a University of South Florida professor of computer engineering.

He is accused of being a member of the Islamic Jihad radical group, and of running a fund-raising operation. This is said to have helped finance a series of terrorist attacks in which 100 people died, in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Israel itself. The case is mainly based on intercepted telephone calls, faxes and other documents gathered by FBI foreign intelligence agents, starting as long ago as 1984.

<snip>

The defence is expected to argue that Mr Arian was a significant figure in the Arab-American establishment, who knew US politicians as illustrious as the former president Bill Clinton and his successor George Bush, despite the fact he was under investigation for such serious offences. Successful prosecution of the case is highly important for the credibility of US legal efforts to deal with terrorism. The case of Zacharias Moussaoui, the sole person charged in connection with the 11 September attacks, long teetered on the brink of farce before Moussaoui finally pleaded guilty to some offences on 22 April. But his conviction throws little new light on al-Qa'ida's detailed planning for the attacks.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=639580

[bluedog]

1. Bush Tied to Terror Suspect Sami al-Arian

Bush Tied to Terror Suspect Sami al-Arian - Image
Thursday, 27 February 2003, 3:49 pm

Bush Tied to Terror Suspect Sami al-Arian

From: Democrats.com
http://www.democrats.com/display.cfm?id=299

George and Laura Bush with Sami Amin Al-Arian during the 2000 campaign in Florida. Al-Arian is charged with 50 counts of terrorism. Al-Arian even went to a White House briefing with Karl Rove.


George & Laura Meet Alleged Terrorist Sami Amin Al-Arian

(Photo From: Newsweek)




ORIGINAL CAPTION STORY FOR THE PHOTO ABOVE:

IT WAS ONE OF THE COOLEST MOments of his life. Abdullah Al-Arian was finally old enough to vote for president, and George W. Bush, on a campaign hop through Tampa, Fla., had singled him out in the crowd. Bush called the college student "Big Dude" and posed for pictures with his Arab-American family-an ethnic group politicians have long ignored. AlArian had registered Democratic, but he was so encouraged by Bush's outreach to the Arab community that he voted for him and took a job this summer as a congressional intern. But his optimism faded his first week in Washington, D.C. During a meeting with Muslim leaders on the president's faith-based initiative last month, Al-- Arian was ejected from a White House annex by a security guard, on an erroneous tip that the student had terrorist connections. "I thought with this election we were finally gaining ground" says Al-Arian, 20, a polisci major at Duke. "The next thing I know, I'm being profiled by the Secret Service." ---> More

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0302/S00207.htm

[Moderator]

2. duplicate topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1481043