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KEY PLAYERS
| Tampa Bay |
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Sami Amin Al-Arian, 45
Born in Kuwait, he was a computer engineering professor at the University of South Florida and founder of the World Islam and Studies Enterprise and the Islamic Committee for Palestine. The indictment says he is secretary of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the North American leader of the group. |
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Sameeh Hammoudeh, 42
Born in the West Bank, now a resident of Temple Terrace. He is a teaching assistant and doctoral student at the University of South Florida and a director at the Islamic Academy of Florida. The indictment accuses him of being a fundraiser for Islamic Jihad. |
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HatEm Naji Fariz, 30
Born to Palestinian parents and raised in America, he was president of the Chicago Islamic Center in 2001. In early 2002, he moved to Spring Hill to work as an office manager for a local medical clinic. The indictment accuses Fariz of aiding in fundraising for terrorists. |
| Illinois |
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Ghassan Zayed Ballut, 41
A West Bank native now living in Tinley Park, Ill., and owner of a small business. The indictment says he was a member of the Islamic Jihad cell in Chicago. |
| England |
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Bashir Musa Mohammed Nafi, 50
Originally from Egypt and living in Oxfordshire, England. The indictment calls him the United Kingdom leader of Islamic Jihad; he was formerly associated with WISE. |
| Middle East |
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Mazen Al-Najjar, 45
Al-Arian’s brother-in-law, Al-Najjar also taught at USF and worked at WISE. Last year, he was deported from the United States after a five-year legal fight that involved secret evidence of his alleged ties to terrorism. In the indictment, he is referred to as “Unindicted Co-conspirator Twelve.” |
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Fathi ShiKAKI, 44
Expelled from Egypt after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat in 1981, Shikaki returned to the Gaza Strip to help form Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In 1988, he was deported by Israel to Lebanon. He was assassinated in October 1995 in Malta, most likely by Israeli agents. His brother, Khalil Shikaki, was a former adjunct professor at USF and a director of WISE.
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Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, 45
A Gaza Strip native and now resident of Damascus, Syria. He is described in the indictment as the worldwide leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a former USF instructor and former executive director of WISE. |
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Mohammed Tasir Hassan Al-Khatib, 46
Originally from the Gaza Strip and living in Beirut. The indictment describes him as treasurer of Islamic Jihad and formerly of the Islamic Committee for Palestine in Tampa.
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Abd AL Aziz Awda, 52
Born in Israel and imam of the Al Qassam Mosque in Gaza Strip. Along with Shikaki, he founded Islamic Jihad and is the spiritual leader of the group, according to the indictment. He, too, was deported to Lebanon. |
| Graphic compiled by Steve Cavendish, Ron Brackett , Don Morris, John Martin and Susan Aschoff |
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