Tampa media is reporting that Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Sami Al-Arian has been released on bail as a possible prelude to deportation. According to one report:
The end result of the ruling by a federal judge in Alexandria, Va., may mean Sami Al-Arian is one step closer to being deported. Al-Arian was transferred to a Virginia jail nearly two years ago by federal authorities, who sought his testimony in a case against an Islamic charity. But the ousted USF computer science professor has refused, and has been hit with several contempt-of-court charges. A federal judge there ordered Al-Arian released pending a trial on another contempt charge. But she has refused to block immigration authorities from detaining Al-Arian as a prelude to his deportation. In 2005, after a six month trial in Tampa, Al-Arian was acquitted on eight counts and the jury deadlocked on the remaining nine counts. He later pleaded guilty to one count of of aiding the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a designated terrorist group. The deal included his deportation after serving his sentence.
A number of prior posts have discussed the support provide to Al-Arian by the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood as well as his ties to the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), a U.S. Brotherhood organization.