[JURIST] Jury selection begins Monday in the trial of a former computer science professor and three others accused of funding a terrorist group responsible for a bombing in Israel. Sami Al-Arian [defense website, Wikipedia profile] is charged [JURIST report] with using an Islamic think tank he established as a front for finanicing terrorism. Defense lawyers have asked for a change in venue [AP report], claiming the publicity surrounding the investigating tainted the jury pool. His alleged terrorist activities were a hot-button issue [St. Petersburg Times report] in the 2004 Senate campaign between Betty Castor, who suspended Al-Arian while she was president of the University of South Florida, and Mel Martinez, who won the election. AP has more.
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