Tarek Mehanna (photo courtesy Mehanna family)
Government prosecutors claimed that Tarek Mehanna was the type of person that would contemplate killing Americans as they shopped at the mall. But for every day of Mehanna’s eight-week trial, the courtroom was filled with supporters from the mainstream Muslim community here in Massachusetts. That was the first sign that this wasn’t a clear cut case of a terrorist caught in the act. As I continued to follow the case, I found myself troubled by the prosecution’s case. The government presented as evidence internet chats that Mehanna had sent as a young 20-something to his friends. Yes, the chats were troubling, at times celebrating the deaths of U.S. soldier in Iraq, but my understanding is that even unpopular opinions are protected by freedom of speech. Also, the government argued that because Mehanna had translated pro-Jihad documents, that made him part of Al-Queda’s “propaganda wing.” But perhaps the most questionable aspect of the trial were the government witnesses. They were all friends of Tarek that had been granted immunity for testifying against him. But one of them admitted to proposing terrorist acts, and all said that Mehanna was not the most extreme in their group of friends. It was strange on the face of it. These men are no longer a threat because the cooperated with the FBI, but Mehanna, who refused, must be put in prison for life. I understand this is common procedure, but when you have people testifying who are perhaps more culpable than the accused, it sure smells funny. The government’s most damning evidence came from a trip that Mehanna took to Yemen. His friends all claimed he went there for terrorist training. But he couldn’t have been that committed, he came back after two weeks and went back to college.
I talked to Mehanna’s friends, family and acquaintances at the mosque to get some idea of the real Tarek Mehanna. I reported the story for Latitude News and PRI’s The World.
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