Al-Arian's thoughts on the cause of his prosecution - or persecution - were tops on my agenda. And, had he lied to me and others about his involvement with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad?

"I didn't tell you and others everything," he said. "I said I was part of a movement. Some parts of the movement went one way, some another. That was true. But I didn't tell you other things, but I promise you someday I will."

[My notes from several interviews show that when I asked Al-Arian if he was a member of the PIJ, he responded, "No." However, he always expanded that answer by saying he was part of a broad intellectual movement, in which some of the people became violent and others didn't.]