Friday, December 9, 2005
[2 Updates (H/T: Mike): Debbie Schlussel: Why Al-Arian Walkedand Victim's Father: Try Al-Arian Again]
Here are a few links concerning the al Arian trial that I found interesting.
First, this post at Volokh questions the press spin which characterizes the trial as a test (and failure) of the Patriot Act, which seems bizarre to me. What it shows is that the Patriot Act is just another information gathering tool for the Government, and not the fearful boogy-man it's so often made out to be.
Next, this editorial (via BornIn1965 in the forum) in the Bradenton Herald points out that al-Arian may have been found "not guilty," but innocent he certainly is not. Deport Al-Arian
Here, for example, is what prosecutors said was Al-Arian's response to an e-mail from the PIJ office in Damascus reporting results of a Nov. 11, 1994, suicide bombing in which three Israeli soldiers were killed and 15 others injured: "Pride and glory overwhelmed us. May God bless your efforts and accept our martyrs."
Notice the use of pronouns: "us" and "our." Al-Arian, who founded the think tank at USF that was a cover for anti-Israel activities and whose one-time director became head of the PIJ, was one with the terrorist organization...
Also via Volokh is this article in the St. Petersburg Times explaining that part of the problem with the case was its complexity: Case too complex to get a conviction
Finally, via Jihad Watch, is this article at Frontpage which, among other suggest reading (another way of saying "read the whole thing"), reminds us of that Muslim FBI agent who, shortly after 9/11, refused to tape-record fellow Muslims, and how that may have played into al-Arian's aquittal: Sami's Guardian Angel
Then Abdel-Hafiz met, unexpectedly, with al-Arian at an American Muslim Council conference in Washington and wrote a summary of their conversation, which he had not coordinated with Tampa. The report he filed was not well received by Carmody and his team of investigators in Tampa -- or by FBI agents John Vincent and Robert Wright, whose Chicago investigation dovetailed with the al-Arian case.
"After Gamal had a conversation with Sami al-Arian, he made a lot of self-serving statements for al-Arian and denigrated the FBI agent (Carmody) who was investigating the case," says Vincent, who also had a run-in with Abdel-Hafiz over his refusal to wear a wire to record another Muslim under terror investigation -- Soliman Biheiri, who is tied to al-Arian (investigators found the his phone number in Biheiri's computer address book). Abdel-Hafiz tried to explain to Vincent that a "Muslim does not record another Muslim."...
Wait -
I didn't read the linnk yet but you're fin telling me that animal got completely off? Was it in the news whatsoever?
Loftus and every retired FBI and CIA agent he repped knew this guy was the head terrorist connection in the US for over 10 years but the higer up protected him due to Saudi pressure in Washington. If he got completely off then there had to be something rotten at the trial.
He was aquitted on some of the charges and the jury deadlocked on the others. There's a serious question as to whether they will bother with a re-trial or not. They may also just try to deport him.
Whatever he got off and I am betting the Justice Dept and higher ups did everything they could to F it up beginning with "losing some key evidence" for the indictment which Loftus kept a copy of. That this guy walked is a sign... it's all bullshit.
If he walks I vote Dem even if it's Hillary next election. F them.