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CounterPunch
February
26, 2003
Press Ganging Sami Al-Arian
O'Reilly
and Tampa Tribune Cheer Indictment
by JACK McCARTHY
Pity poor Sami Al-Arian, the Palestinian University
of South Florida (Engineering) Professor/activist indicted on
February 20th by Jesus freak John Ashcroft's U.S. Justice Department
under the so-called RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations
Act) Statute for allegedly "aiding and abetting terrorism."
On top of this contrived indictment,
Professor Al-Arian must contend with the theatrics and grandstanding
of Fox Network's in-house (one of many) megalomaniac, Bill O'Reilly
and the Tampa Tribune who are doing public battle to take credit
for Al Arian's indictment.
And Al Arian's right to a fair trial?
In the phony parlance of that populist
fraud and nightly dispenser of political blarney, O'Reilly: "Yeah,
right."
On Friday February 21st the sad excuse
for a newspaper ran an incredibly prejudicial editorial titled,
"The Scorching Indictment of Sami Al-Arian."
Far from being a dispassionate discussion
of a news event and the charges leveled at Al-Arian the editorial
itself is a "scorching indictment"-- of the newspaper's
ethics.
The editorial is a barely disguised friend
of the court brief for the prosecution that seriously jeopardizes
Al Arian's ability to receive a fair trial.
A fairer more accurate headline would
have been, "Guilty As Charged! Now Where's Our Pulitizer?"
Here's an example of the mentality of
the editorial jury:
Al -Arian, amongst other damnable things,
the Trib editorial alleges, is .." a consumate manipulator,
willing to take advantage of the freedoms here--to use the United
States as a safe haven-to wreak havoc elsewhere."
The editorial proceeds to list the litany
of charges in the indictment and writes of them as though they
were proven fact and prejudcially conludes:
"These and other revalations vindicate
USF Preisdent Judy Genshaft, who more than a year ago-amid withering
criticism--decided to fire Al-Arian."
Since when are allegations "revalations?"
Jack McCarthy
can be reached at: jackm32301@yahoo.com
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February 22
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