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Al-Arian Site Home
USF/UFF Site Home
Major Postings
The Issues
Contact Us
Site Map
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An Overview of the Entire Controversy
Background: Before Sept. 11
The Year 2001 - 2002
The Year 2002 - 2003
Recent News
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The year 2002 - 2003:
7 Days: 8/21/02 - 8/27/02
September: 8/21/02 - 9/26/02
Looming Clouds: 9/27/02 - 11/04/02
Anticipation: 11/05/02 - 12/31/02
Transitions: 1/1/03 - 2/19/03
Indictment: 2/20/03 - 2/21/03
Termination: 2/22/03 - 2/28/03
Reverberations: 3/1/03 - 3/19/03
A Greater Circle: 3/20/03 - 3/28/03
Recent News: 3/29/03 -
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Termination
Links from February 22 to February 28, 2003
The United Faculty of Florida had long said that the accusations
of (facilitating) terrorism, made against Al-Arian, were criminal
charges, and that they were not a matter for the Board of Trustees.
If the Federal Government took up the case, that was another matter:
the union does not deal with criminal law.
In fact, Roy Weatherford was on record saying that if the Federal
Government proved terrorism charges against Al-Arian, they could
shoot Al-Arian as far as he cared.
But the union does deal with labor law, and the union's
dispute was with the Board.
But then, the Federal Government stepped in, and it looked like the
entire matter would be taken out of the Board's hands.
But the Board could not bear to wait and see.
So while the various combatants postured, pontificated, and debated,
the Genshaft announced that at long last it would indeed fire
Al-Arian -- and by relying so heavily on the indictment that she
was, in effect, betting the farm on the outcome of a trial whose
arraignment hadn't occured yet.
The story wound up in the news briefs sections of most newspapers,
and even locally was relegated to aftershock status.
For the union itself, the most interesting development was Al-Arian's
decision to grieve the dismissal ... under the new rules that
the union claimed were illegal.
Meanwhile, Al-Arian was protesting the entire situation by going on
a hunger strike.
These links are in a very rough chronological order, and will be
updated as events develop.
Again, links marked with an asterisk (*) are to the LEXIS-NEXIS site: this
is restricted to on-campus users and requires that the user do a search;
two asterisks (**) apply to other restrictions.
WARNING ABOUT `LINK ROT':
Some websites take pages down, or restrict access to them, after some
time passes.
So unfortunately, some of the links on these pages will be inoperative.
However, most of the items can be found by searching
lexis-nexis.
Here are links back to
the site map, to
the main Al-Arian page of this site,
and to
the main UFF/USF page.
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Now will
my enemies
rejoice!
- John Hale
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Previous:
Indictment
2/20 & 21/03
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Next:
Reverberations
3/01/03 - 3/19/03
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Saturday
By Saturday morning, Feb. 22, google listed "about 9,690" hits for
"al-arian," with this site as number 2.
The local papers continued their coverage.
-
The Lakeland Ledger editorialized in
*The Case Against Al-Arian
that ``... USF is off the hook.
Al-Arian and other defendants face charges that could put them
in prison for the rest of their lives, if convicted.''
-
Visitors to the
Before September 11
page will recall that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad rejected the
results of the 1993 Oslo negotiations, and lost popularity and
support as a result.
The St. Petersburg Times reported that
Feds home in on bickering, power clash:
Much of the federal indictment against Sami Al-Arian focuses on
early 1994 when, it says, he was trying to reform Islamic Jihad's
finances.
The article reported that the earliest electronic surveillance
in the indictment began on Jan. 9, 1994.
-
The St. Petersburg Times carried several background stories:
-
The St. Petersburg Times also carried several related stories:
-
Case raises questions on money flow,
which looks at bank oversight of the alleged transactions.
-
Al-Arian backers: Rights imperiled,
on a press conference held on Friday afternoon.
-
Islamic Jihad rules out retaliation against U.S.,
in which yet another senior (yet unindicted) PIJ member contends
that seven of the eight indictees (including Al-Arian) quit the
PIJ during its difficult period in the early 1990s.
-
Before FBI arrest, man quietly settled in here:
Hatem Naji Fariz, arrested Thursday in connection with Sami
Al-Arian and the financing of terrorists, had moved to Spring
Hill recently with his wife and two children, one of the
other indictees.
And
Suspect's employer: 'I'm not involved':
Dr. Ayman Osman says office manager Hatem Fariz, arrested
Thursday with Sami Al-Arian, never asked him for money for
terrorist causes.
And his neighbors:
Local arrest raises eyebrows, fears:
The FBI's arrest of a Spring Hill man on terrorism-related
charges surprises some who say such events are the stuff of
big-city life.
-
The Tampa Tribune described the investigation
Indictment Caps Years Of Clashes,
including lack of information sharing between the Justice
Department and intelligence agencies, and the information
provided by Great Britain, Israel, and Jordan.
-
The Tampa Tribune also carried some related articles:
-
USF Professor's Case Evokes Alarm, Relief
on public reactions.
One Jordanian visitor said, ````I definitely want to see
how the trial goes - it will be like watching the O.J.
Simpson trial.''
-
Experts: Jihad Cases Will Test At Least 2 Legal Areas.
Experts predicted that there would be fights over the
admissibility of intelligence intercepts ... and over
RICO.
-
The Tribune ran the AP story on how:
Jihad Leader In Gaza Says U.S. Lying About Al-Arian,
quoting from a rally in Gaza: ``The Americans are making
and fabricating these lies to support the Israeli interests.''
-
The Tribune ran the AP story on how:
British Resident Denies Funding Palestinian Terrorists.
Bashir Nafi was also indicted, and he said, ``You're a friend
of someone, who's a friend of someone, and that's how it
starts.''
-
Al-Arian Met With Bush Aide Rove In '01.
Not mentioned in this article is that Al-Arian actively
supported Bush in 2000 (and hence Bush's gratitude),
providing what Al-Arian has contended were more votes
than Bush's margin of victory in the tally certified
by the Florida Election Commission.
Al-Arian had supported Bush because of Bush's public
opposition to the use of secret evidence, a position
that Bush has subsequently ... modified.
This story came from
The Washington Post.
-
Terror Suspects Isolated, Closely Monitored:
Al-Arian is still on a hunger strike.
His attorney, Nicholas Matassini, said, ``He sees this as
the best way to protest his detention ... He views himself
as a political prisoner.''
-
Arrests Raise Academic Awareness
queries the right wing group, the
< a href="http://www.nas.org/">
National Association of Scholars
,
the research organization
Middle East Studies Association,
and the libertarian
Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
Further away, other papers continued their coverage.
-
On Feb. 22, the Boston Globe reported that
Professor in terror indictments was a Bush supporter:
Key figure among Muslims in Tampa...
-
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that
*Local imam supported, suspected;
Damra's link to alleged terrorists brings strong reactions.
-
The Independent reported that
*Lecturer Rejects U.S. Claims as `Nonsense'.''
-
The London Times reported that
*Teacher accused of leading jihad in English village,
about Bashir Nafi.
An MI5 source said, ``We'll have to wait and see what the United
States has to say about this case'' while Gwen Griffiths-Dickson
of the Islamic Studies at Birkbeck, said, ``Dr Nafi is a highly
respected and valued member of the academic team.
He is a specialist in the Islamic history of ideas, covering a
broad range of thinkers.
Dr Nafi has taken an analytical and scholarly approach to the
study of Islam.
He has sought to encourage critical thinking about religious
issues, and academic balance in his students, and thus to
encourage social responsibility.''
-
The Melbourne Herald Sun reported that
*Eight face charges of aiding terror.
-
The Montreal Gazette reported that
*Militants to U.S.: we won't retaliate:
Islamic Jihad group to focus on fight against Israel,
not American targets.
-
The New York Times reported that
Officials Say Case Against Florida Professor Had Been Hindered.
-
The Ottawa Citizen reported that
*MP probes Canadian link to U.S. terror suspects:
FBI phone tap refers to unnamed 'operative' who moved $9,000.
-
The Palm Beach Post editorialized on
*The Chance to Resolve Lingering Al-Arian Case.
-
Roll Call reported that
*Al-Arian Gave $8,000 To Members
of Congress.
-
The (London) Sun reported
Lecturer: I'm No Terror Boss.
-
The World Socialist Web Site claimed that
US government mounts conspiracy frame-up of Palestinian
activists.
Sunday News
On Sunday, there are more background and follow-up stories --- and some
additional developments.
Here is a selection from all over.
-
The AP reported that
Suspect living in Gaza Strip denies terror allegations:
Abdel Aziz Awda claims that he never was a member of the PIJ
while the PIJ itself claims he was, but quit in the early
1990s.
-
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that
*Indictment tells of terrorism link to Cleveland,
the alleged link perhaps being Imam Fawaz Damra, who has been
in Cleveland since 1991.
-
The Jerusalem Post reported that
*US professor accused of funding Islamic Jihad visited White House,
which reported that the Post had called the American Muslim Council
a ``pro-terrorist Muslim group.''
-
The London (Sunday) Daily Telegraph reported that
*US furious as Britain ignores extradition plea,
reporting that Great Britain was Bashir Nafi was not being
extradited.
A ``US Department of Justice official'' said that the extradition
request had been made two weeks previously: ``I thought the Brits
were on our side in the war against terrorism.
But when something like this happens, you wonder.''
But the Brits reported that they had not received such a request.
-
The Miami Herald editorialized that
*Watershed trial?
Terror case is chance to judge nature of terrorism.
-
The New York Daily News editorialized in
*Prof's arrest will test Arab American's Loyalty:
It's time to stand up against terrorism that
``There are, presumably, Arabs in this country who are not
sympathetic to Al-Arian's goals and methods...''
-
Newhouse News reported that
*Cleveland Imam Linked to Alleged Terrorist.
-
Newsweek's March 3 issue ran a story on
*Hiding in Plain Sight:
Did a Muslim professor use activism as a cloak for terror?.
Newsweek quoted Islamic Institute Chairman Khaled Saffuri saying,
``He always told me the charges were garbage ... When you hear he's
going to the White House, you figure what he's saying must be true.''
Time's March 3 issue contains only one sentence on the case.
.
PR Newswire carried a Newsweek release:
*Newsweek: Prior to White House Event in June 2001, Secret Service
Warned That Professor Al-Arian was Potential Terrorist;
Aides Let Him Through Anyway;
Was Active in Bush Campaign, Helped Court Muslim Vote;
'I Played a Big Role in Electing Bush,' He Told Dinner Crowd.
.
The St. Petersburg Times reported that
Al-Arian in good spirits, wife says.
St. Petersburg Times columnist describes in
Standing up for the man in the eye of the storm
how a civil activist who had assisted the Al-Arians was doing.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported that
*Area's Muslims feel uneasy Incidents ranging from obscene
gestures to the arrest of a USF professor are raising their
concerns.
Herald-Tribune columnist Tom Lyons wrote that
*USF still erred by using phony charges as weapon to dump professor,
writing, ``let's ignore for the moment that Al-Arian hasn't been
convicted of anything ... how would that justify Genshaft's effort
to make USF a place where a professor can be fired based on a
facade of bogus charges?''
The Tampa Tribune's lead story was that
Fate Of Al-Arian Took Turn After 9-11,
contending that the Sept. 11 attacks changed the attitudes of
investigators and the politics of investigations and that helped
lead to the indictment.
The Tampa Tribune also ran several stories on the effect of
Executive Order 13224, prohibiting dealings with people and
organizations ``designated'' as terrorists.
There is a story on
Treasury Department Issues List Of Alleged Terror Ties,
and a list of
Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons.
And the Tampa Tribune editorialized that
Al-Arian Will Receive A Fair Deal,
saying that Al-Arian
``needs no vindication yet because he has yet to be found guilty
of anything.
But neither is he a political prisoner, as his lawyer protests,
or the victim of American-style, right-wing bigotry because of
his nationality and faith.''
-
Tampa Tribune columnist Daniel Ruth wrote
Meet Sami Al-Arian, The Happiest Man In Town!,
which begins ``Sami Al-Arian claims he has begun a hunger
strike.
Promises, promises.''
-
Also, Tampa Tribune columnist Steve Otto wrote
Maybe Sami Can Think In This Tank,
in which Otto, like Ruth (above) complains about Bill O'Reilly
claiming the credit for the indictment, going into detail about
Michael Fechter's investigative work for the Tampa Tribune.
Otto did not mention Steve Emerson.
The Washington Post reported that
*Former Fla. Professor Indicted ....
Rumbles
By Monday, things were beginning to gel.
People had expressed heard the news and expressed their opinions,
and some started making plans.
One of the radio stations was running a hastily composed ditty
mocking Al-Arian.
-
The Bangor Daily News editorialized in
*Patriot Test
that ``Now it is time for a law that has many law-abiding and
thoughtful Americans, liberals and conservatives alike, worried
with good reason about the toll the war on terrorism will take
upon civil liberties, to prove itself.''
-
The Boston Globe reported that
*Professor in terror indictments was a Bush supporter, key figure
among Muslims in Tampa
-
The Florida Alliance for Peace and Social Justice announced
a
demonstration in support of Dr. Al-Arian.
-
Fox News the Big Story ran a
*Interview With Frank Gaffney.
-
The Miami Herald described the history of the conflict
at USF in their article
USF tells how terror allegations unfolded:
4 from school named in indictment.
Former USF President Castor said of the decision to let Al-Arian
return to the classroom in 1998:
``The university always cooperated with law enforcement and
particularly the FBI ... [Law enforcement] could never extend
enough information.''
-
The New York Post reported on a
*White House Twist in Terror Prof' Case
about Bush's meeting with Al-Arian.
-
And the New York Post ran a column by Daniel Pipes on
Terrorist Profs, who wrote
``That three accused terrorists passed without suspicion as
genuine Middle East studies scholars points to the crisis in this
academic discipline.
This academic field is already criticized for providing refuge
to what might be called intellectual terrorists - scholars known
for their extremism, intolerance, and dishonesty.
Now we learn it apparently has been harboring the real thing.
Conclusion: This field must be scrutinized very closely,
especially by the U.S. Congress, which provides vital subsidies
to Middle East studies programs.''
-
Slate.com's Explainer explained how
How Can a College Professor Lose Tenure?, beginning with
``The exact procedure varies from campus to campus, but tenured
professors are generally guaranteed the right to a fair hearing
before a committee of their peers.
The administration must convince the committee that the professor
in question is guilty of either moral turpitude (such as sexual
harassment) or gross incompetence (such as repeatedly missing
class).''
Incidentally, USF has no such committee, and is being forced into
grievance proceedings instead.
That's part of what the dispute on campus is about.
-
The USF Oracle ran its collection of articles on the case.
-
Columnist Sebastian Meyer wrote that
Al-Arian arrest creates precedent for future trials.
Meyer expressed some skepticism of the charges, and wrote,
``In this country you are innocent until proven guilty, and not
until your face appears on The O'Reilly Factor.''
-
The Muslim's Students Association is participating in the
FAPSJ demonstration:
MSA reacts to Al-Arian arrest, plans courthouse protest Tuesday.
MSA Vice President Aliyah O'Keeffe said, ``As Muslims, we do
not ask for special treatment, but simply equal treatment under
the law,'' adding, ``This press conference is about due process
and restoring the public's perception of fair play within the
system.''
-
There was a story on the WISE report:
1996 report a sign of things to come;
the report itself is on-line at
the USF Main Library's site.
-
The Oracle also editorialized that
Al-Arian speculation should stop, saying
``whether he is guilty or not will be determined in court, and it
is not for the public to decide if he should be fired or his family
deported.''
-
The Washington Post wrote of
The Al-Arian Defense
that
``Mr. Al-Arian's defenders also ignored the possibility that
their man was actually a terrorist''
and then listed the UFF, the AAUP, and Georgetown University
Professor John Esposito.
What UFF and AAUP are defending are Al-Arian's due process rights,
and UFF has explicitly said repeatedly that if the government
believed that Al-Arian was guilty, then it should prove its case.
Unless the Washington Post is advocating putting the Constitution
on a shelf, it is difficult to see what the Post is saying.
Anyway, this column was published in the Feb. 25 St. Petersburg
Times (with attribution) and posted on the Feb. 25 Tampa Tribune
(ahem, without attribution).
The Rumblings continued on Tuesday.
-
The University of Virginia Cavalier Daily reported that
*Some at U. Virginia concerned for academic freedom following prof.
arrest, where an assistant professor of electrical and computer
engineering said, ``There is always a peer pressure ... If you have
an opinion, you don't want to be too far out of the mainstream.''
-
Fox's O'Reilly Factor ran a
*Interview With the Investigative Project's Evan Kohlman,
where it turned out that Bush's meeting with Al-Arian was all
Hillary Clinton's fault.
-
The Miami Herald posted on Lexis an editorial on
*Watershed trial? Terror case is chance to judge nature of terrorism
which noted that at least, there would be a public trial, unlike
some other pending cases.
-
On Feb. 25, the New York Post ran a column by Frank Gaffney on
Outreach to Terrorists?,
which futher delved into Al-Arian's visits to the White House.
-
The USF Oracle reported that
Al-Arian faces tough mob law:
Al-Arian is charged with violations of the RICO act, which has been
used against mafiosi, tobacco companies, and the Roman Catholic
Church.
-
The USF Oracle also published a column by Chris O'Donnell,
Al-Arian arrest makes War on Terror personal,
in which he warns that an inconclusive resolution might be
disastrous.
-
The St. Petersburg Times posted a Feb. 25 AP story that
Al-Arian calls self 'prisoner of conscience,' victim of hysteria,
quoting Al-Arian saying,
``I'm crucified today because of who I am, a stateless Palestinian,
an Arab and Muslim, an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights.''
They also reported that the defendents had asked for more time
before being arraigned (the arraignment had been scheduled for today),
and so the arraignment has been delayed to March 24.
According to Ms Al-Arian, Al-Arian was still on a hunger strike, and
since Thursday has lost ten pounds.
-
The Feb. 25 St. Petersburg Times can't resist an old photo:
Bush, Al-Arian photo resurfaces,
but they don't post the photo on-line!
-
The Feb. 25 St. Petersburg Times published a letter from PRIMER
director Norman Gross on
The indictment of Al-Arian: 'He had it coming'.
-
On Feb. 25, Salon.com columnist Scott Rosenberg asked,
From the White House to the jailhouse:
If the government has long known that Sami Al-Arian was supporting
terrorism, why did the controversial professor win an invitation
from Karl Rove?
John Podhoretz called Nicholas Kristof and Eric Boehlart ``idiots''
for questioning the accusations against Al-Arian, but Rosenberg
notes Al-Arian's support for Bush in the 2000 campaign --- and
Bush's publicly expressed gratitude.
-
The Feb. 25 Tampa Tribune published an AP article on how
Al-Arians Donated $7,700 To 5 Congressmen ---
three Democrats and two Republicans --- with the most to
former Congressman Daniel Bonior.
-
Temple Terrace, the old town (not a suburb of Tampa) where
Al-Arian lives and runs his educational, religious, political
(and, according the the Department of Justice, illegal) organizations,
is a pleasant, middle class town with two biweeklies of its own.
One of these, the Temple Terrace/University Beacon (apparently
not on-line), published in its Feb. 26 - March 11 edition ``Temple
Terrace: Central Command for terror?''
USF student and president of the Muslim Students Association is
quoted: ``Although we are nervous, I still feel safe here at USF.''
And Deputy Police Chief (of Temple Terrace) is quoted: ``The only
involvement is that we are a member of the Terrorism Task Force.''
-
On Feb. 25, the Mar. 3 Weekly Standard was posted on Lexis, and
contained a scrapbook column on ``On Prof. Jihad, Maureen Dowd,
and more.''
The ``and more,'' by the way, was Joseph Lieberman.
Um ... Oh, yes ... The Contract
The United Faculty of Florida is involved in this controversy
because of the contract, and once again, we are reminded that
that is another story --- indeed, from the point of view of
UFF's mission, the contract is the main story.
Faithful readers will recall that the Board of Trustees blamed
a hideous communication problem for their ``mistake'' in
enacting a problematic misconduct rule.
Many faculty, including the Faculty Senate, suggested that
perhaps what was needed was more communication.
On Feb. 25, the USF Oracle reported that
BOT, faculty yet to meet.
Faculty Senate President Greg Paveza said, ``As soon as we
come up with a plan for the president and the provost, we
can have a meeting with the Board and Faculty Senate.''
But Chairman Dick Beard hadn't heard about such a meeting,
and saw no need for one: ``I don't know why the Board would
be meeting with the Faculty Senate.
We're not involved in the day-to-day operations of the university.''
Now, Back to Al-Arian
Bay News 9 was running an unscientific poll, asking visitors
Should the judge in the Sami Al-Arian case grant his request
for bail?.
Early Tuesday, Feb. 25, 21 % said yes; by late Tuesday, 28 %
said yes.
At 11:10 am Wednesday, 46 % said yes, and there were 41 comments
on 5 pages.
And so, on Wednesday, Feb. 26:
-
BBC News reported that
Accused academic speaks out:
A British academic accused by the US of leading an Islamic terror
group has defended himself, saying his only "crime" was to talk
about politics to friends on the phone,
and that Nafi is in Great Britain on an Irish passport.
-
Fox's O'Reilly Factor reported that
*Arrest of Al-Arian Tarnishes Muslim American Image,
where O'Reilly said, ``... if the professor is found not guilty,
he should get his job back with retroactive pay.''
-
On Feb. 26, FrontPage.com ran a column by Robert Spencer on
Al-Arian: Terrorist Professor and His Campus Allies,
and said that ``Now that he has been indicted, Al-Arian is more of a
hero to the Left than ever,'' and comparing Al-Arian to Alger Hiss.
-
The London Evening Standard reported in
*Case against the British lecturer accused of terror
that the USA may have difficulties extraditing Bashir Nafi
from Great Britain.
The Standard also reported that
*Key US claims from Nafi's 'tapped calls'.
-
The Miami Herald reported that
*Federal case against Florida professor treads new ground under
Patriot Act,
which quoted ABA Chair on terrorism law Neal Sonnett saying,
``What was intended to be a foreign intelligence act has now turned
into a de facto domestic intelligence act ... The line was blurred
with FISA for a long time.
And when they passed the Patriot Act, they wiped it out completely.''
-
National Review columnist Jonah Goldberg gave
Two Cheers for “McCarthyism”?,
and went from ``Senator Joe McCarthy was a lout, generally speaking.
But he was on the right side of history and, in a broad sense, of
morality as well,'' to Al-Arian, on whom ``Professors reveled in the
opportunity to change the subject to `academic freedom,' in much the
same way as defenders of Stalin's gulag used to insist that the only
issues worthy of public passion were the civil liberties of spies
and traitors.''
-
The USF Oracle reported that
Bail hearing delayed again,
and that the difference between Al-Arian's first and second
appearances in court was
``... much more subtle, and not physical.
Al-Arian walked to his chair looking forward at the gallery and
wearing a smile.
He chatted with attorney Nicholas Matassini throughout the hearing
and, looking directly at Judge Mark Pizzo, put forward an air of
confidence.''
-
The USF Oracle also reported that
Protesters: Al-Arian is a victim of political punishment,
which reported comments, pro and con, at the courthouse.
-
And USF Oracle columnist Chris Ricketts wrote that
Al-Arian's day in court may be the best thing, saying,
``I would think Al-Arian would welcome his day in court.
It will finally give him the chance to dispel accusations in
public,'' and adding, ``If he testifies, he can always invoke
the Fifth Amendment another 99 times.''
-
The Press Association reported that
*Accused academic says only crime is discussing politics,
with many quotes by Bashir Nafi.
-
The St. Petersburg Times reported that
Al-Arian will remain on paid leave at USF,
reporting that the USF Administration had ruled on Al-Arian's
grievance, and ruled that placing Al-Arian on leave was not
a disciplinary action.
The next step would be for Al-Arian to file an appeal for a
``Step 2'' hearing; since Step 2 hearings were heard in Tallahassee,
it is not clear what a Step 2 hearing would be in the reorganized
system.
-
The St. Petersburg Times reported that
Al-Arian stirs the court of public opinion:
A judge delays the bail hearing for the USF professor.
Outside court, his supporters protest the charges against him,
and quoted Omali Yeshitela of the Florida Alliance for Peace and
Justice:
``That's a frightening thing that somebody in Washington, D.C.,
can draw up a list and say that these are terrorist organizations
and anybody who supports these organization by association also
becomes a terrorist.''
-
Tampa Tribune columnist Daniel Ruth is still furious that Bill
O'Reilly is trying to claim credit for all of Michael Fechter's
hard work:
Nothing Is `Free' About Bill O'Reilly's Froth Factor.
Ruth calls O'Reilly ``the Father Coughlin of cable TV'' and ``probably
shameless enough to claim authorship of ``Primary Colors''' and
``the Joe Isuzu of journalism'' and ``journalism's answer to Willie
Sutton'' and ``like William F. Buckley with rabies'' and ``the
Torquemada of television'' and ``the Oliver Cromwell of mass
communications'' and ``the Bubba the Love Sponge of Self-Promotion''
and ``the Penn (& Teller!) of chitchat'' and ``the Clifford Irving
of coaxial cable'' and ``the Piltdown Man of Rupert Murdoch's media
empire'' and ``the Nathan Thurm of talking heads'' and ``a creepy,
sleazy, insecure guy who isn't man enough to give credit where
credit is due'' (okay, Ruth just said that other people think of
O'Reilly this way) and ``the Joe Pyne of Whine.''
Ruth also calls the Fox News Network the ``Deutschland uber Ailes
Network'' and ``the Crock Network'' and ``the Morton Downey Jr.
Lite Network.''
Ruth said that O'Reilly's claims on ``the No Spittle Zone'' were
``drivel.''
As Ruth advised O'Reilly, ``... ranting and raving and conducting
a few foaming-at-the-mouth interviews with the usual subjects
about Middle Eastern terrorism is not the same thing as reporting,
advancing a story.''
-
USA Today reported that
Indictment: Smiling face hid hatred,
and portrayed Al-Arian as a man attracted to the limelight of
civics activism.
-
USA Today also reported:
'No way,' wife says of charges, and quoted her saying:
``Let's pray justice will have its say, and everything will be in
the open ... People don't know his sincerity.
They think he is some kind of trickster, but it isn't true.''
If at First ...
On Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 1 pm, President Genshaft held a press
conference announcing that Al-Arian was fired.
In her
announcement, she said:
-
Dr. Al-Arian has repeatedly abused his position at the university.
He has misused the university’s name, reputation, resources and
personnel.
Dr. Al-Arian has the responsibility to uphold the ethical standards
of our profession – as a teacher, researcher, intellectual mentor
and counselor.
Yet it is clear that throughout this process, Dr. Al-Arian’s
statements about his activities have been false and misleading,
and he has failed to meet our high professional standards.
-
We have determined that USF must sever all ties to Sami Al-Arian
once and for all.
Today, the Provost has issued a letter to terminate Dr. Al-Arian’s
employment immediately.
His use of this educational institution for improper, non-educational
purposes, will not be tolerated.
The
Letter of Termination said:
-
The ``bases for termination'' included:
-
``... your engagement in activities outside the course and scope of
your employment that adversely affected the legitimate interests
of the University ...''
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``... a conflict between your private interests and the public
interests of the university ...''
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``... the interference of those activities with the full performance
of your institutional responsibilities and obligations ...''
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``... and your failure to report these activities ...''
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Six specific actions were listed: his founding of the ICP, his
organizing and participating in ICP conferences from 1988-1992,
his use of USF's name at one of these conferences, his founding
of WISE (``... an organization with significant linkages to
terrorists ...''), his ``sponsorship or support of the entry of
terrorists into the United States...,'' and his ``... fundraising
for terrorist organizations.''
-
The letter states that on Feb. 20, the USF Administration was shown
some of the evidence described in the federal indictment, and the
USF Administration used this evidence in making its decision and
its case.
-
As the gentle webmaster reads the letter, the USF Administration is
itself alleging that Al-Arian was a senior member of the Palestinian
Islamic Jihad, and provided many services to it at USF's expense
and detriment.
The letter alleges that these activities continued past the
publication of the second Letter of Termination of Aug. 21.
(And of course, Al-Arian has the right to grieve this action.)
She then sent out a
Community Memo,
which was very similar to her announcement, to USF faculty, staff, and
students, saying: ``This action is based on his conduct alone, not his
ability to freely speak in the classroom on controversial topics or his
rights to free speech outside the classroom.
No longer will he be able to hide behind the shield of academic freedom.''
Aftermath
Everyone was ready to react to Al-Arian being fired.
Including Al-Arian's attorneys, who filed a grievance, under
the new rules promulgated by the Board of Trustees.
-
AP reported that
*Lawyer will seek re-instatement of fired professor:
Al-Arian's labor lawyer Robert McKee said, ``The fairest
thing to do would have been to allow Dr. Al-Arian an
opportunity to take an unpaid leave of absence to attend
to this criminal matter,''
while Al-Arian's criminal lawyer Nicholas Matassini said,
``If his case is dismissed or he's found not guilty, she'll
have egg on her face.''
The Boston Globe carried Jeff Jacoby's column on
The Islamist Connections,
who wrote, ``A resume like that should have made Al-Arian
radioactive - the kind of person anyone with political
ambitions or decent instincts would shun.
So why in the world would he be treated as a friend and ally
by - of all people - George W. Bush?''
-
The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that
U. of South Florida Fires Professor Accused of Terrorism
and quoted USF Professor Elizabeth Bird saying, ``For many
months, I've heard informally that people thought, If only
the FBI would charge him it would make things easier.
Without the charges, I think we'd still be in this stalemate.''
AAUP spokesperson Ruth Flower said, ``It's the due-process
issues that have always engaged our concerns.
The decisions are being made by the president, not with a
council of peers as would be normal in an academic situation.''
-
The Florida State University Florida Flambeau reported that
U. South Florida attempts to recover from accused terrorists
in midst
reviews the history of the case in the 1990s.
-
The Independent Florida Alligator reported that
*Indicted professor Al-Arian loses tenure position at U.
South Florida,
which quoted the UF Chapter President Jon Reiskind of UFF saying,
``We're always concerned about any faculty member anywhere in the
world getting a fair shake and being treated fairly.''
-
The Miami Herald reported that
*University fires tenured professor accused of terrorism.
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The USF Oracle ran several articles.
-
The USF Oracle's main story was
Terminated,
in which President Genshaft said,
``We are not about criminal law.
I must make very clear that this is an employment relationship,
not a criminal law issue,''
and, ``We have always been thoughtful and deliberative about
this process,''
while Ms. Al-Arian said,
``They're liars.
The indictment came because of (USF administration) and because
of their corporate initiative that ruined the university,"
and USF/UFF Chapter President Roy Weatherford said,
``The burden of proof is on the university ... to show there is
legal justification in the dismissal'' and ``What they did was
stall until ... they would follow him out with the indictment
and no further consultation.''
-
The USF Oracle also reported that
AAUP says university botched up due process,
which quoted AAUP Associate Secretary Jonathan Knight saying,
``To dismiss the person because he has been indicted, seems to
us to turn the due process upside down ... They sentence the
person, and then later have some hearing on the matter,''
and quoted USF Spokesperson Michael Reich retorting,
``The AAUP has made it clear that they think that tenure entitles
you to a job for life even if you support terrorism.''
-
The USF Oracle also ran an analysis,
A hasty conclusion?,
which enumerated a number of anomalies in the USF Administration's
position, and warned, ``If nothing else, this is dangerous for the
university.
Should Al-Arian be found innocent in a trial, the letter of termination
is a multi-million dollar lawsuit waiting to happen.''
-
And the USF Oracle reported that
Al-Arian's termination gets mixed reviews
which quoted USF Professor Greg McColm (the USF/UFF webmaster)
saying, ``The union's position is that the university should follow
some kind of due process ... in most respectable places, they have
a system where it's not just one person making up their mind,''
while USF Student Government President (and USF Trustee) Mike
Griffin said, ``This has never been an issue of academic freedom,''
although if Al-Arian ``... was a political science or international
relations professor, I could see the argument a little more clearer.''
-
The St. Petersburg Times reported that
USF fires Al-Arian after terrorism charges:
The university has accused the professor of misusing his position in
order to operate a terrorist organization.
USF Faculty Senate President Greg Paveza said,
``We're at a different place than we were 18 months ago ... The
president's actions were justified,''
but and USF/UFF Chapter President Weatherford said, ``As a general
rule, you're innocent until proven guilty -- except at USF.''
-
The Tampa Tribune reported that
USF Fires Al-Arian,
and that USF General Counsel Friedlander said that (as paraphrased in
the story), `the school's concerns do not need to meet the legal
standard of a conviction.'
But Jonathan Knight of the AAUP said, ``The administration has, in
effect, found him guilty of the charges.''
-
The Tampa Tribune also reported that
Experts: Islamic Jihad Cases Are A Test Of 2 Legal Areas,
and quoted one expert saying, ``It's unusual in any sort of
prosecution to use intelligence surveillance material'' and
another saying of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act,
``It was designed to circumvent the Fourth Amendment standard
of probable cause.''
And there are the usual concerns about the racketeering act.
-
In the Washington Times, Frank Gaffney asked
What's wrong with this picture?
about the picture of candidate George W. Bush and activist
Sami Al-Arian.
Gaffney said, ``Whoever is responsible, their behavior has
seriously disserved President Bush, and risks becoming more
than a mere political liability if it is allowed to persist,''
and said that such a connection with Al-Arian undermines Bush's
war on terror.
-
The Weekly Planet has just fired practically all its news staff, and
brought in a new editor.
Readers worried that this might mean less news, but the Weekly Planet
had assured readers otherwise.
The 2/26-3/4 issue had no news about Al-Arian, but did run a brief
Note to readers
assuring readers that ``The Weekly Planet, which has strongly
supported Al-Arian's right to espouse unpopular political views,
will continue to report this story vigorously.''
In addition, the Planet ran an opinion piece by former Planet
investigative reporter John Sugg, who has run several exposes
of the media coverage of the Al-Arian controversy.
Sugg wrote in
Hypocrisies, Double Standards and Lies:
Al-Arian arrest reveals how selective the press and government
are in dealing with terrorism funding
that the media and the government have tolerated or even lionized
several terrorists (and claims that one of the Al-Arian prosecutors
was involved with the IRA), and therefore ...
Well, he doesn't reach a therefore, but says: ``Here's what I
conclude: Short of wholesale fabrication of evidence -- which I
don't believe -- the indictment shows that Sami Al-Arian was far
more involved in, at best, a political movement or, at worst, a
terrorist group, than he has acknowledged to his supporters and
the press.''
Outside of the Tampa Bay area, the first sign of fatigue: most papers
just ran very short stories, often in those news round-up sections.
Then on Friday:
-
Forward.com reported that
White House Hosted Al-Arian Despite Investigation, reporting that
``Al-Arian was part of a 160-person group from the American Muslim
Council that was briefed by Rove on President Bush's faith-based agenda
and other issues, according to AMC [American Muslim COuncil] spokesman
Faiz Rehman.
Rehman characterized the meeting as routine, and said that Al-Arian had
attended such events before.''
Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York said, ``The Bush campaign
went to these people and they helped them win the campaign in 2000 ...
Now, they obviously formed some ties with people and they don't vet
them very carefully.''
-
The Jerusalem Post ran a column by Caroline B. Glick on
*Politically correct terrorists,
who wrote that, ``Arian's arrest was a watershed because of the
political will that stood behind the decision to move forward in
the case,'' and decrying that ``terror apologists and perpetrators
are viewed as simply another legitimate voice in a free society's
marketplace of ideas,'' and says that Israel could learn from U.S.
resolution.
-
NPR ran a clip on
*Firing of Professor Sami Al-Arian from the University of South
Florida,
on the scene at the courthouse.
-
The USF Oracle reported that
Al-Arian will file grievance, in which Al-Arian's labor attorney
said:
-
Al-Arian is ``completely engaged in the process of helping his
criminal defense team prepare ... He wasn't surprised.''
-
Al-Arian's team had gotten some indications that the USF
Administration has been communicating with the US Department
of Justice:
``We got a hint when they filed the lawsuit in August, they were
working on new and improved charges ... Those new and improved
charges dovetailed nicely with what was in the indictment.''
-
The grievance is filed under USF's new rules, leaving UFF ``out
of the loop'': ``The collective bargaining agreement has expired.
We're stuck with the new procedure that has been put in place by
the Board of Trustees.''
(The new rules have a grievance procedure with no place for
union participation: UFF contends that the contractual
grievance procedures, with stronger protections for grievants,
are still in force.)
Incidentally, UFF contends that while the contract has expired, its
terms and conditions have not.
Thus while the new rules have a grievance procedure with no place for
union participation, UFF contends that the contractual grievance
procedures, with stronger protections for grievants, are still in
force.
-
The St. Petersburg Times reported that
Al-Arian vows to fight for job:
But an attorney says the fired professor will likely focus first
on the federal criminal charges he faces.
-
The Tampa Tribune reported that
Al-Arian To File Complaint Over Firing By University,
which reported Al-Arian's employment attorney Robert McKee saying
``If Dr. Al-Arian had not been indicted, he wouldn't have been fired.''
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Previous:
Indictment
2/20 & 21/03
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Next:
Reverberations
3/01/03 - 3/19/03
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Al-Arian Site Home
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An Overview of the Entire Controversy
Background: Before Sept. 11
The Year 2001 - 2002
The Year 2002 - 2003
Recent News
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The year 2002 - 2003:
7 Days: 8/21/02 - 8/27/02
September: 8/21/02 - 9/26/02
Looming Clouds: 9/26/02 - 11/04/02
Anticipation: 11/05/02 - 12/31/02
Transitions: 1/1/03 - 2/19/03
Indictment: 2/20/03 - 2/21/03
Termination: 2/22/03 - 2/28/03
Reverberations: 3/1/03 - 3/19/03
A Greater Circle: 3/20/03 - 3/28/03
Recent News: 3/29/03 -
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