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Megahed Essays Praise U.S.

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By ELAINE SILVESTRINI, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 2, 2007

TAMPA - When Youssef Megahed was trying to gain admission to the University of South Florida, he wrote essays touting his love of the United States.

The essays' description of his dreams to live in this country contrast with a federal prosecutor's depiction of Megahed as a danger to the community. The prosecutor has said Megahed made anti-American statements and may have used a computer to visit jihadi Web sites before he was arrested and charged with illegally transporting explosives.

The 21-year-old wrote "the most significant experience in my whole life" was coming to the United States and getting a green card.

Now behind bars, the Egyptian national wrote in a personal essay obtained by The Tampa Tribune that he "used to hear wonderful stories from US citizens" going to his private school in Egypt. "My wish to visit the USA grew bigger and bigger after each wonderful story about the states. Until one day in winter 1996, my dad bought airline tickets to visit the USA."

Megahed is a legal permanent visitor to the United States, coming to this country when he was a child. When he was arrested in South Carolina on Aug. 4, he was riding with another Egyptian national, Ahmed Mohamed, 26, who is in the United States on a student visa. Authorities say the two men had explosives in the trunk of the car.

Mohamed faces an additional charge of trying to help terrorists by teaching or demonstrating the use of explosives. Authorities say Mohamed posted a video on YouTube in which he showed how to use elements of a remote-controlled toy to detonate a bomb. The video and other jihadi materials were found on a laptop authorities say belonged to Mohamed. When the two men were pulled over, the prosecution says, Megahed, the passenger, was seen trying to stow the computer.

Megahed's father wants his son to have a separate trial from Mohamed, partly because he fears his son will be tainted by association with Mohamed.

In his college essay, Megahed was asked to describe an experience or achievement that has been particularly meaningful. He described coming to the United States.

"The country and people fascinated me. I was amazed by the vast differences in their ways of thinking and living. I admired the freedom, democracy and peace available to the American citizens and I was impressed by the high living standards and the very advanced technology available to the ordinary people."

Two Megahed essays obtained by TBO.com are undated but appear to have been written as part of his application for admission to USF. His attorney has said he was within three credits of obtaining his engineering degree.

He wrote that after visiting the United States in 1996, his "dream changed from visiting the states to living there. Actually, all my family had the same wish, so when we returned back to Egypt, we applied for the green card by entering the lottery in the USA."

The family was accepted in 1998, he wrote. He described USF as "the best university in Florida. I believe it will be an experience that will add a lot to my character since living in the American culture for sure will add a lot to my personality and character."

The other essay question was: How has your family history, culture or environment influenced who you are?

Responding to that question, Megahed spoke of growing up in a "unique country" with a culture that is "vastly different from the western one." While it has "taken on most of the sophisticated trappings of Western society," Megahed wrote, Egypt's "habits, its heritage and its core are Middle Eastern and therefore traditional. Yet, like most of the Egyptians, those sophisticated trappings don't affect the way I viewed the world, since family, religion, paternal authority still have a strong influence on the way I perceive the world."

He wrote again that he was "greatly influenced" also by his family's 1996 visit to the United States. "No wonder why no matter where I live," he added, "I'll always fell that I'm unique."

Reporter Elaine Silvestrini can be reached at (813) 259-7837 or esilvestrini@tampatrib.com.

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