Respected Brothers & Sisters:

The trial started on Thursday October 12th, 2006, the following events took place:

1. Thursday, Friday and Monday 10/12, 10/13 & 10/16: Jury Selection.

2. Thursday 10/19: The opening statement in which the attorney emphasized that the Government tried to turn me into a spy against my people. For further information, please visit the web site: http://free-ashqar.org/

3. Thursday 10/19 at 4:00 PM: The Government introduced Dr. Mathew Levitt as an expert witness in Hamas. As you may expect a very biased testimony. Dr. Levitt emphasized that any work done by Muslims in Palestine is to recruit and help suicidal bombers. Schools, Hospital, Kindgartens, social services...etc are used exclusively by Hamas members and to promote suicide bombers. The cross examination by both Mr. Moffit and Deutch was very effective. They showed him a committed biased Zionist who only uses Israeli sources of information and refuted his argument by the election of Hamas Government.

4. Wednesday 10/25 at 3:30, The Government introduced the first witness: An Israeli agent known by his alias name : Nadaf, from Shabak to testify against the codefendant in the case , Mr. Mohammed Salah, the testimony continued until Wednesday 11/1. The Government presented audio recordings what it called Mr. Salah confessions and its translation with little comments from the Israeli agent. However, the Government tried to use these confessions against me but the judge ruled in my favor.

5. Wednesday 11/1 at 11:30 AM, the cross examination of the Israeli agent by Mr. Salah defense team started and expected to be finished on Monday 11/6.

6. However, the Government is expected to introduce another Israeli agent and Ms. Judith Miller next week.

Please keep making Duaa

Abdelhaleem Ashqar
Chicago
11/5/06