FLORIDA PROFESSOR ACQUITTED OF AIDING PALI TERRORISTS

ACQUITTED: Sami Al-Arian acquitted on eight counts
Tampa, Florida - A former Florida professor was acquitted on a key charge today that he helped lead a Palestinian terrorist group that has carried out suicide bombings against Israel. In one of the biggest courtroom tests yet of the Patriot Act's expanded search and surveillance powers, the jury acquitted Sami Al-Arian on eight of the 17 counts against him. The jury deadlocked on the others. Two of the three co-defendants in the terrorism conspiracy case were acquitted of all charges against them. The two co-defendants acquitted are Sameeh Hammoudeh and Ghassan Zayed Ballut. The third, Hatem Naji Fariz, was found innocent of 24 counts and jurors deadlocked on the remaining eight. The jury deadlocked on the others including charges he aided terrorists. Al-Arian will go back to jail until prosecutors decide whether to retry him on the deadlocked counts.