Salah - 1, Feds - 0

By Timmy Watson in News on Feb 4, 2007 8:00PM

Mohammed Salah and Abdelhaleem Ashqar were acquitted of racketeering charges in the feds case against them, claiming they helped lead the militant Palestinian group, Hamas.

The indictment, announced by former Attorney General John Ashcroft in 2004, included money laundering charges in which the feds claimed the two were funneling money to Hamas in their activities against Israel, whom Hamas believes is occupying Palestinian territory.

Salah, a former grocer from Bridgeview, and Ashqar, a former University professor from Virginia, seemed to be pleased with the verdict. Both were convicted of obstruction of justice for refusing to testify to the grand jury about their links to the group. Salah stated, "We are not terrorists. "We are a great people who are helping the United States."

Prosecutors, while lamenting the fact that the two were not charged with racketeering and money laundering, believed they proved the case, but were happy the two were at least charged with obstruction of justice. The case, which lasted for 3 months, spanned a time frame of 14 years and we don't believe the FBI officials can be too pleased with the outcome.

Defense attorneys for Salah believe he should only receive probation for the charges, but it looks as though prosecutors will try to have a 1993 Israeli conviction included in the sentencing. Defense attorneys claim the '93 conviction was a result of a false confession tortured out of Salah. Salah, who has been living off of support friends and family, had his assets frozen and has been essentially penniless.