Prosecutors rested their case against a Fayetteville man accused in federal court of plotting to join a recognized terrorist organization. Jaber is charged with knowingly attempting to provide material support to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.The prosecution rested after playing for the jury a series of songs encouraging martyrdom, the killing of infidels and celebrating resistance to the U.S. occupation of Fallujah, Iraq. The songs are in Arabic and feature the sounds of bombs going off and machine gun fire. They were found on Jaber's computer. Jaber also had a copy of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad emblem on his computer.
At the conclusion of the government's case, attorneys for Jaber asked U.S. District Judge Jimm Larry Hendren to throw out the most serious charge in the case, arguing the evidence is insufficient to support a conviction. John Wesley Hall Jr. argued the government has nothing beyond speculation or conjecture Jaber intended to act. "It takes more than showing up at an airport," Hall said. He added Jaber had a round trip ticket to Palestine when arrested and had a job in Kuwait lined up.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy Johnson argued Jaber's own words should convict him.