A Lebanese-American who has pleaded guilty to being involved in terrorism asked his judge to disqualify himself because he is Jewish, The Associated Press reported. Fawzi Mustapha Assi, 48, went against the advice of his lawyer and told the court that Judge Gerald E. Rosen is biased because he is Zionist and cannot be impartial.
Judge Rosen rejected the request, saying it was made too late in the case and that the court already "had bent over backwards" to be sure of a fair hearing. Assi was arrested in 1998 when he tried to board a plane to Lebanon with equipment for Hizbullah. He will be sentenced in two months.