Four men arrested in February who Washington says are members of an Islamic militant group asked a U.S. judge on Thursday to free them on bond while they await trial. Former University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian and three others were arrested on Feb. 20 by federal agents in Tampa and Chicago. They were charged with providing money and support to the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad, which is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft called Al-Arian, 45, the leader of Islamic Jihad in North America. Ashcroft said the Damascus-based group was responsible for the murders of over 100 people in Israel, including two Americans. Al-Arian has denied the charges and says he is being persecuted by the U.S. government because he is stateless Palestinian and supports the creation of a Palestinian state. Full Story
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