The World and Islam Studies Enterprises think tank, co-founded at the university by Al-Arian, his brother-in-law and others, was raided in 1995 by the FBI amid concerns it was sheltering a nest of terrorists.

Another co-founder, former university instructor Ramadan Shallah, had left Florida in 1995 and turned up as the head of Islamic Jihad - he is one of the people named in the indictment. And federal officials said Al-Arian founded the think tank with help from the brother of an assassinated Islamic Jihad leader.

Al-Arian has said he knew the men only as academics and was shocked when they were later connected to terrorism. Al-Arian wrote that he considers himself a "prisoner of conscience" because of "the hysteria engulfing this country in the aftermath of the 9-11 tragedy, and because there are very powerful political groups which are thirsty for my blood."

His attorney, Nicholas Matassini, did not return several calls seeking comment.

Shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Al-Arian appeared on Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor" and was quizzed about links to known terrorists and video tapes from the late 1980s in which he said "Death to Israel" in Arabic.

He has said he has not advocated violence against others and that his words were a statement against Israeli occupation. He has consistently denied any connection to terrorists.

The government argues Al-Arian used USF as a cover to bring Islamic Jihad members to the United States under the guise that they were attending academic conferences and raised money for the group.

"The people that are supporting Sami really don't care what the evidence is ... because everything is justified by the cause," said John Loftus, a former U.S. Justice Department attorney who sued Al-Arian last year as a private citizen, alleging much of what ultimately was in the indictment.

"This is not a freedom of speech case," said Loftus. "No one has the academic freedom to blow up school buses."

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