Jeremy Scahill, author of Dirty Wars, interviewed by Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman & Juan González

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April 08, 2009 < Previous Entry | Next Entry >

"U.S. Muslims Still Under Siege"

While Obama was in Turkey this week, he pledged a commitment to "bridge the divide between the Muslim world and the West." Meanwhile, in Tampa, Fl., Youssef Megahed was arrested on charges he had been acquitted of days before. In the murky world of immigrant detention, "double jeapordy," being charged with the same offense twice, is perfectly legal.

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As President Barack Obama made his public appearance with Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Monday as part of his first trip to a Muslim country, U.S. federal agents were preparing to arrest Youssef Megahed in Tampa, Fla. Just three days earlier, on Friday, a jury in a U.S. federal district court had acquitted him of charges of illegally transporting explosives and possession of an explosive device.

Obama promised, when meeting with Gul, to “shape a set of strategies that can bridge the divide between the Muslim world and the West that can make us more prosperous and more secure.”

Megahed, acquitted by a jury of his peers, thought he was secure, back with his family.

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Filed under  Columns & Articles, Arabs and Muslims in America
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