Ohio Iman's Lawyers Seek Ban of Testimony
Attorneys for a Muslim cleric accused of concealing ties to terrorist groups want testimony from the government’s chief witness banned from trial. Witness Matthew Levitt, a former FBI analyst, wrote a report calling Palestinian-born Iman Fawaz Mohammed Damra a “classic case study of a radical Islamic militant” with ties to associates of al-Qaida and other terrorist groups. Defense attorneys filed the report in federal court with their motion to exclude Levitt’s testimony from Damra’s June 14 trial. They argue Levitt’s work is inflammatory and has little bearing on the immigration case. Damra, 41, has pleaded innocent to a charge of obtaining U.S. citizenship in 1994 by providing false information. He is accused of having connections with groups such as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and not revealing them when he applied for citizenship. Full Story