Alberto Balsalm
04-18-2006, 01:31 AM
Former university professor Sami al-Arian has pleaded guilty to aiding the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad and agreed to be deported, according to documents made public on Monday by a U.S. court in Florida.
Al-Arian and three co-defendants were arrested in 2003 and charged with helping the group carry out attacks in Israel. In December, a federal jury found al-Arian not guilty on eight charges and failed to reach a verdict on nine others after a six-month trial.
The United States has designated Islamic Jihad a terrorist organization.
Al-Arian accepted the plea agreement on Friday to avoid another trial on the deadlocked charges.
According to the documents, the former University of South Florida professor admitted he "... conspired to make and receive contributions of funds, goods and services to or for the benefit of specially designated terrorists."
U.S. District Judge James Moody scheduled sentencing for May 1.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-04-17T212742Z_01_B116003_RTRUKOC_0_US-SECURITY-PROFESSOR.xml&rpc=22
Al-Arian and three co-defendants were arrested in 2003 and charged with helping the group carry out attacks in Israel. In December, a federal jury found al-Arian not guilty on eight charges and failed to reach a verdict on nine others after a six-month trial.
The United States has designated Islamic Jihad a terrorist organization.
Al-Arian accepted the plea agreement on Friday to avoid another trial on the deadlocked charges.
According to the documents, the former University of South Florida professor admitted he "... conspired to make and receive contributions of funds, goods and services to or for the benefit of specially designated terrorists."
U.S. District Judge James Moody scheduled sentencing for May 1.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-04-17T212742Z_01_B116003_RTRUKOC_0_US-SECURITY-PROFESSOR.xml&rpc=22