Episode 13: FBI Visitors
Terror Talk
This episode we talk about the FBI in relation to the Aref-Hossain case—not about what they did before and during it, but afterwards. And what we did in response. But before we go back in history, it’s worth mentioning that two of the FBI players are not only still with us today, but are front and center in the news. We’ve had experience with James Comey and Robert Mueller, and we’ll just take a few minutes to reminisce and talk about the roles they played in the case. James Comey was U.S. Assistant Atty General and announced the prosecution of the...
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Episode 12: The Appeal, Part 2: Oral Arguments
Terror Talk
The attorneys for both Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain (Yassin’s co-defendant) prepared appeals to the 2nd Circuit Court. At the same time, the Muslim Solidarity Committee organized a march and rally—the first one—and have marked the anniversary of their arrests (August 4) every year since 2007. We discuss "who is a terrorist." Kathy Manley reviews the main points in the appeal. We describe the trip fifty supporters took from Albany to New York City to hear the appeal. And, the podcast would not be complete without Kathy describing the secret oral argument the...
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Episode 11: The CMU and The Appeal, Part 1
Terror Talk
In this episode we will hear directly from Yassin about what life is like in the brutal CMU - Communications Management Unit prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. While we were finding out more and more about this possibly illegal prison unit at Terre Haute from Yassin, the attorneys for both Yassin and Mohammed (Yassin’s co-defendant) were preparing appeals to the 2nd Circuit Court. At the same time, the Muslim Solidarity Committee organized the first march and rally marking the anniversary of their arrests (August 4) and turned this into an annual event, because we will not forget the unjust...
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Episode 10: Fallout
Terror Talk
The last episode covered Sentencing Day, March 8, 2007 and brought you readings of support letters and editorials from community members, newspapers, and the defendants themselves. All were trying to get the judge to give Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain lenient sentences, instead of the 30 years to life that was recommended by federal guidelines. The Bureau of prisons is required to place a prisoner no more than 500 miles from home so that the family can visit. But this did not happen with either Mohammed or Yassin. Sentencing day will show you how doubts about both the case and the tactics...
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Episode 9: Sentencing Day
Terror Talk
In the last episode we talked about all the community activity on behalf of Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain between their guilty verdicts on October 10, 2006 and their sentencing, which was rescheduled to March 8, 2007. In this episode we’ll focus on sentencing day, March 8, and we’ll hear the opinions on the whole case, from community members, to media, to other prisoners, to some of us. And we will end with Yassin and Mohammed’s own thoughts, from the court transcript of their sentencing statements.
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Episode 8: The Verdict and the Media
Terror Talk
This is the third and final episode of our mini-series of The Trial of Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain, who were caught up in an FBI sting operation from 2003-2004. Their trial was in October 2006. We will discuss the verdict and all that came after it. Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain received a great deal of support from the Albany community, including fellow prisoners writing to the judge, editorials in the local daily papers, vigils at the court house, petitions and letters to the judge, all pleading for leniency.
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Episode 7: The Trial Part 2 - The Defense
Terror Talk
This is the second episode of our three-part mini-series of The Trial of Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain, who were caught up in an FBI sting operation from 2003-2004. Last time we covered the prosecution’s case, now it’s the defense’s turn. We talk about the judge’s targeting instruction. The judge said there were “good and valid reasons” to target Yassin Aref. How can anyone get a fair trial when the judge says there are “good and valid reasons” to target the defendant?
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Episode 6: The Trial Part 1 - The Prosecution
Terror Talk
We begin a three-part mini series on the trial of Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain. In this first episode of the mini-series, we present the prosecution’s case. We read from trial transcripts and describe how the prosecution alarmed the jury by having a witness point a (disabled) missile at them, and read testimony of a government “expert” who knew nothing of the topic on which he was to testify.
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Episode 5 - Ideology
Terror Talk
The crucial aspect of the Aref-Hossain case, in order to convict Yassin, was to prove he was “predisposed” to commit terrorism, and so the government had to submit “evidence” to this effect - the government wanted to prove that Yassin had the “ideology". The government did this by presenting certain deliberate mistranslations and innuendo from Yassin's journals, offering false ideas that Yassin held about the West, and by arguing Yassin's supposed connection to Mullah Krekar, a leader of the IMK in Damascus where Yassin worked. The government want to convict...
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Episode 4: Immigrants
Terror Talk
In this episode, we talk about the immigrant experience of Yassin Aref, and how this encouraged the government to pursue him. For the second half we’ll focus on a particular (and legal) harassment tactic, as used by the government in the war on terror, called a superseding indictment, and how it was used to further the case against Aref and Hossain.
info_outlineIn this episode we will hear directly from Yassin about what life is like in the brutal CMU - Communications Management Unit prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.
While we were finding out more and more about this possibly illegal prison unit at Terre Haute from Yassin, the attorneys for both Yassin and Mohammed (Yassin’s co-defendant) were preparing appeals to the 2nd Circuit Court.
At the same time, the Muslim Solidarity Committee organized the first march and rally marking the anniversary of their arrests (August 4) and turned this into an annual event, because we will not forget the unjust prosecution and imprisonment of Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain.