Feds Drop Charge Against Terror Suspect Rather Than Answer Questions About Key Witness

But What Were The Questions?

From the AP's Mike Robinson, as reported by the Washington Post [with emphasis added]:

CHICAGO -- Federal prosecutors Friday dropped a charge that an alleged fundraiser for the Palestinian militant group Hamas gave material support to terrorists -- a move that stunned defense attorneys.

Prosecutors gave no explanation in court and declined to comment afterward.

Muhammad Salah, 53, who has been the focus of a high-profile terrorism investigation for nine years, remains charged with racketeering conspiracy and lying by denying membership in Hamas.

But the dropped charge was a victory for Salah, whose 2004 indictment was announced at the Justice Department by then-Attorney General John Ashcroft.

"This is astounding," Salah's attorney Michael E. Deutsch said.

Pay attention now, this part is important:

The surprise came at a hearing after Deutsch asked U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve to press prosecutors to turn over background material on a prospective government witness, Jack Mustafa.

Deutsch asked for information about how much the FBI had paid Mustafa and whether he had an arrest record. It was then that prosecutor Joseph M. Ferguson said quietly that the government wanted to drop the charge with prejudice, meaning it cannot be reinstated.

Prosecutors also said they were withdrawing Mustafa as a witness.

So ...

What are the Feds hiding? Good question, isn't it?

Here's another good question: What is the Washington Post hiding?

Why do I say the Washington Post is hiding something? Have a look at an excerpt from the same article, as published by the Belleville (IL) News Democrat:

The decision to drop one count of the indictment came at a hearing after Deutsch asked St. Eve to press federal prosecutors to turn over background material on a prospective government witness, Jack Mustafa.

Deutsch asked for information about how much the FBI had paid Mustafa and whether he had an arrest record. He also asked if the prospective witness had met with agents of the Mossad - Israel's intelligence agency.

Sometimes the most significant details are the ones left out.

Is this one of those times?

How can we decide if they don't report?

If you want the whole article, you'll have to read it in the Belleville News Democrat.