(AP/Miami Herald) Mitch Stacy - Attorneys for former University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian, accused of raising money for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group, must limit their discussion of the history and political implications of the long-standing Middle East conflict during his trial, U.S. District Judge James S. Moody Jr. ruled Tuesday. Al-Arian and three other defendants face a 53-count federal indictment charging them with support of a foreign terrorist organization, racketeering, conspiracy, and extortion. Prosecutors allege the men used an Islamic academic think tank and a Palestinian charity Al-Arian founded as fund-raising fronts for Islamic Jihad, blamed for more than 100 deaths in attacks in Israel. Prosecutors said the background of the conflict doesn't matter. ''Nothing gives the [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] the right to threaten violence or kill,'' said lead prosecutor Walter E. Furr III.
2005-05-13 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive