Terrorist arrests long overdue. (Insider Report).(Osama "Sami" Al-Arian, professor, University of South Florida, alleged leader in Islamic Jihad Organization)

Federal agents arrested University of South Florida (USF) professor Osama "Sami" Al-Arian on February 20th, charging him and seven other individuals with operating a racketeering enterprise, conspiracy to kill and maim, conspiracy to provide material support and resources to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist group, extortion, perjury, immigration fraud, and other crimes. Al-Arian, a professor of computer engineering at the Tampa university, has posed as a peaceful advocate for Palestinian rights, but has long been known as a top leader in the Islamic Jihad organization implicated in the 9-11 terror attacks. According to a cell phone call from Jeremy Glick, one of the doomed passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93, the "Arab-looking" hijackers wore red headbands, a symbol of Islamic Jihad.

THE NEW AMERICAN exposed Mr. AI-Arian's Islamic Jihad connection in 1998, 2001, and 2002, pointing out evidence indicating a probable connection between his Tampa group and the 1993 New York World Trade Center bombing and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. (See 'America the Vulnerable" in THE NEW AMERICAN for September 14, 1998. The article is available on the web at www.thenewamerican.com; click on "back issues.")

Despite Professor Al-Arian's well-documented connections to, and involvement in, terrorist enterprises, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other major media organs defended him, and both major political parties courted him prior to his arrest. Al-Arian was ...