Now it's official: Al-Arian confesses his ties to jihad

But it seems to be simply because of a plea bargain he's getting, that'll enable him to just be deported. From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Jihad Watch):

Details of Sami Al-Arian's plea agreement emerged Monday after a federal judge unsealed documents related to hearings held last week out of public view.

In it, the fired University of South Florida professor admits being a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and helping others associated with the terrorist group -- including his deported brother-in-law Mazen Al-Najjar -- in immigration matters and lying to conceal their ties.

Al-Arian pleaded guilty to one count of "conspiracy to make or receive contributions of funds, goods or services to or for the benefit of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad." In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dropped eight outstanding terrorism-related charges on which jurors deadlocked during a six-month trial.

Prosecutors also agreed to recommend that immigration officials "expedite" Al-Arian's expulsion after his sentencing. His family has previously said their first stop may be Egypt before they try to begin anew in the Palestinian territories.

Oh, he'd be warmly welcomed there, wouldn't he. And the latter part of this article contains quite a bit of gushing, sob-story quality bits about the creep's own wife, Nahla Al-Arian. That aside, this does prove that Al-Arian, despite initial attempts to claim otherwise, was indeed involved in terrorism against the US.

Robert Spencer's already published an article about this at Front Page Magazine, and sums it up well about the MSM failing its duty to the public:

After years of denial, Sami Al-Arian has finally admitted it: he has pleaded guilty to a charge of “conspiracy to make or receive contributions of funds to or for the benefit of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a Specially Designated Terrorist” organization. He has agreed to accept deportation. In his 2002 defense of Al-Arian, Eric Boehlert wrote: “The al-Arian story reveals what happens when journalists, abandoning their role as unbiased observers, lead an ignorant, alarmist crusade against suspicious foreigners who in a time of war don't have the power of the press or public sympathy to fight back.” Reality is just the opposite. The al-Arian story reveals what happens when journalists and Leftist academics, abandoning their role as unbiased observers, lead an ignorant, alarmist crusade against Americans who in a time of war try to defend our country from those whose politics make them the darlings of the Leftist media and academic establishment.

When the media takes the side of dangerous criminals, all they end up doing is hurting many, including themselves, in the end.

While Al-Arian's defenders have nothing left to use now, the sad truth, as Debbie Schlussel explains, is that the prosecution of Al-Arian was a failure, because the Justice Department proved itself so inept in dealing with the case to begin with. And there should not be any plea bargains, but rather, retrials, to prove the guilt of such terrorists as Al-Arian and to prevent dangerous monsters like him from walking among innocent people ever again.