Should I Feel Guilty?

[Jon Miller]

Yes

JM

[Donegeal]

No

Don

[Imran Siddiqui]

I think Pekka is right here. Who knows why he actually confessed? Maybe he was guilty, or maybe he just wanted the crap to end. After all, if he says he did it, he is released and deported. If he refuses, he stays in jail for lord knows how long.

[lord of the mark]

A hung jury isnt an aquittal, the govt has the right to prosecute again. If he thought his case was so strong on the remaining counts, he wouldnt have taken the plea.


Nothing to feel guilty about.

[Japher]

No

he's guilty of something
everyone is

[Pekka]

lotm, so now we're predicting what a person thinks when he is facing more years in prison for accused terrorism at first and who knows what, and there's no sign for trial even?

I'd bet my money on getting the hell out, deported, if that's an option. That is, your mindset changes after 3 years.

[lord of the mark]

"Sami al-Arian, 47, a former University of South Florida professor and local community leader, was accused by the U.S. government of supporting the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). He was acquitted on December 6, 2005 of eight of the 17 charges listed against him in the indictment, including conspiracy to murder or maim people abroad. The jury deadlocked on the remaining charges. Following the decision, the defense lawyers declared their intention to ask the judge to acquit al-Arian of all charges. The prosecution, meanwhile, is considering whether to retry al-Arian on unresolved charges. The government may also try to deport al-Arian.

Al-Arian stood trial in a federal court in Tampa, Florida (he was indicted on February 20, 2003 and his trial opened June 6, 2005); he was charged on counts of racketeering, conspiracy to murder, maim, or injure persons outside the U.S., providing material support to a terrorist organization and additional charges. The government tried to prove that al-Arian “directed the audit of all moneys and property of the PIJ throughout the world and was the leader of the PIJ in the United States.” While the prosecution was able to produce evidence connecting al-Arian to PIJ leaders, it could not convince the jury that his actions were linked to acts of terror or constituted support for a terrorist organization. Much of the evidence connecting al-Arian to PIJ activities dated from before the PIJ was declared a terror organization in January 1995.


In 1988 al-Arian and his brother-in-law, Mazen al-Najjar, who was deported in August 2002, founded a non-profit organization, the Islamic Committee for Palestine, also known as the Islamic Concern Project (ICP). In 1991, al-Arian founded a think tank called World and Islam Studies Enterprise (WISE), which was associated with the University of South Florida, where al-Arian has taught computer science. Al-Arian, and others mentioned in the indictment, also ran a parochial school in Tampa, the Islamic Academy of Florida. According to the indictment, all three entities were part of the “PIJ enterprise." In 1995, WISE director Ramadan Abdullah Shallah moved to Damascus and became head of the PIJ.

During the 80s and early 90s ICP hosted conferences in which speakers expressed support for PIJ and during which funds were solicited for "the Islamic Jihad." According to published reports, video footage of one of the conferences sponsored by ICP and obtained by CJN shows al-Arian telling the audience, "Jihad is our path. Victory to Islam. Death to Israel." In another conference, one of the speakers, Imam Fawaz Damra, spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of Cleveland and a regular guest at ICP's conferences, stated that ICP is "the active arm of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, and we like to call it the Islamic Committee for Palestine here for security reasons." Damara, who is listed in the indictment as an unindicted co-conspirator, is also on tape, stating at an ICP conference, "terrorism and terrorism alone is the way to liberation." Sharing the podium with Al-Arian, he also called for "directing all the rifles at the first and last enemy of the Islamic nation and that is the sons of monkeys and pigs, the Jews."

An ICP invitation to its 1990 conference, titled "Islam: the road to victory," included graphics of a map of the Middle East with a Shield of David sign over Israel, an American flag over Saudi Arabia and an illustration of a horse-mounted army storming under the banner of Islam (a flag with the Islamic declaration of faith printed on it).

According to a March 2002 affidavit by U.S. Customs Service agent, David Kane, documents found in al-Arian’s possession during a 1995 search, include an early draft of the PIJ constitution along with its final official version, which rejects any peace with Israel and declares “the Jihad solution and the martyrdom style as the only choices for liberation.” A separate memorandum found outlines a suggestion to establish a “hostile intelligence organization in the United States.”

Al-Arian was born in Kuwait in 1958 to a Palestinian family and grew up in Cairo, Egypt. He came to the U.S. in 1975 and in 1986 he began teaching computer science at the University of South Florida. He was suspended from teaching in September 2001 following an appearance on Fox News Channel, during which he was asked about his connections to several terrorists and about inflammatory statements he had made during an ICP conference. His employment was terminated shortly after he was indicted. Al-Arian has been a permanent resident alien since 1989. He entered the U.S. on a student visa with an Egyptian passport and later applied for citizenship, which he has not yet been granted. "



I welcome immigrants who come to build up this country. Mr Arian has no right to stay here, however.

[lord of the mark]

nm

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

I kind of like Arrian. And staying in Connecticut is punishment enough.

[Cort Haus]

It's odd that this has been discussed without the OP explaining exactly what the basis were for his suspicions.

[Pekka]

That's also the key to this.. I mean if it was 'I felt..' then it's crap. If there is legimitacy to really feel that something is going on in larger scale, it would be of course a duty to rat out the guy.

[Arrian]

As soon as I saw "Al-Arian" I knew it was only a matter of time.

Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe
I kind of like Arrian. And staying in Connecticut is punishment enough.

I feel all warm and fuzzy. Except that you had to go and denigrate the great state of Connecticut (that phrase sounds wierd even to me)!

I like it, anyway. It has its redeeming qualities.

-Arrian

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
It's odd that this has been discussed without the OP explaining exactly what the basis were for his suspicions.

100:1 Berz wasn't talking about him, but about something that occured to someboy else.

[Zkribbler]

Re: Should I Feel Guilty?

Originally posted by Berzerker
I thought this guy was funding terrorists so I pressured the gov't to prosecute him. He was kept in jail for 3+ years awaiting trial and was acquitted of about half the charges with the jury undecided but leaning toward acquittal on the other charges. Faced with a 2nd trial and more time in jail, the guy agreed to confess to 1 felony and be deported.

Should I feel guilty?

No, you should not feel guilty.

First, there was no malice in your actions.

Second, even tho you "pressured" the government, they are big boys and girls there. I'm sure they undertook proscution because they felt it was warranted, not because you told them too.

Although he was kept in jail for 3 years, that was his choice. He has a right to a quick and speedy trial. The only way he could have been kept that long is if he knowingly, intelligenty and willingly waived that right. And for three years??...he probably waived it repeatedly.

Fourth, he was not found innocent on any of the charges. At most, the jury found the government had not proven its case on some of them.

Fifth, he did decide to plead guilty to one felony and to allow himself to be deported. That must tell you something.

I think the country is safer because of your actions!

[SlowwHand]

Re: Should I Feel Guilty?

Originally posted by Berzerker
I thought this guy was funding terrorists so I pressured the gov't to prosecute him. He was kept in jail for 3+ years awaiting trial and was acquitted of about half the charges with the jury undecided but leaning toward acquittal on the other charges. Faced with a 2nd trial and more time in jail, the guy agreed to confess to 1 felony and be deported.

Should I feel guilty?

Why would you?