Megahed optimistic he'll triumph in the end

Youssef Megahed says he is not worried about efforts by the U.S. government to brand him a terrorist and deport him.

"I think the government has nothing to say or do other than what they already did in federal court," the former University of South Florida student said in a 20-minute telephone interview from the Glades County Jail. He has been detained on immigration charges since shortly after he was arrested April 6, three days after his acquittal on federal criminal explosives charges. "I think at the end I'll win my case."

Megahed said it's "a waste of time and money to retry me for the same thing. I don't think they'll get anything more new out of it."

The explosives charges came after Megahed, 23, and a friend were arrested in South Carolina in August 2007 with what deputies said were pipe bombs in the trunk of the car.

The FBI later determined the items were PVC pipes stuffed with a "low explosives" mixture of potassium nitrate and sugar.

Megahed's defense attorneys argued that Megahed did not know his friend, Ahmed Mohamed, had placed the items in the trunk. The defense said the items were model rockets.

Mohamed later pleaded guilty to trying to help terrorists by posting a video on YouTube in which he demonstrates how to use a remote-controlled toy to detonate a bomb. He said he wanted to help "martyrs" who target U.S. troops abroad. Megahed was not implicated in the making or posting of the video.

Both Mohamed and Megahed are from Egypt. Mohamed, however, had been in the country on a student visa for a few months before the arrest, while Megahed had been here more than 11 years with his family and was a legal, permanent resident. He had applied for citizenship shortly before the arrest.

Although immigration officials have refused to discuss the specifics of the charges Megahed now faces, his attorney has said he is accused of affiliating with a terrorist, Mohamed, and supporting terrorist activity.

Megahed said today that is "a false allegation. We've already been to court to say whatever we want to say. I feel like I got arrested for the same thing."

People who think he is a terrorist "are ignorant," he said. "They just are biased."

Megahed said he had known Mohamed for about two months before they were arrested. "I'm now being charged for what he did."

He said he was skeptical about the government's claims against Mohamed.

"I was always doubtful of the government's allegations whether to me or him," Megahed said. "But some allegation was true; some was not true, but I was always doubtful of the government's statements ... but later ... it proved true."

Asked what he thought when Mohamed pleaded guilty, Megahed said, "I was shocked by the charge and the pleading, and all this was not like something I thought of."

He was at a loss for words. "I don't have a specific quote, but he pleaded guilty to this charge and like don't I have a specific thing to say."

The video, he added, "was not like a good idea."

Megahed said he hopes to be cleared so he can return to live with his family, complete his degree at USF and obtain his citizenship.

He said he wants to remain in the U.S. "for education and economic reasons." He said the ideal that attracts him to this country is "you do hard work and achieve something."

Megahed said conditions in Glades County are miserable. "It's the worst jail I've ever been to," he said. "It has like the worst food and the worst laundry. It's not the best place ... The water color is yellow when it comes from the tap." He said he shares sleeping quarters with 96 other people.

"I've been oppressed and wrongfully held for the last almost two years," he said.

But he said he still has a positive outlook.

"I'm a good person," he said. "I'm always optimistic."

He said he saw some of President Obama's speech Thursday in Egypt and thought it represented a positive change for the U.S. government.

"It was, I don't know, like it's a new tone for the government ...I think it's better than Bush speeches ... I think the Bush speeches are arrogant. He always used 'war on terror,' 'war on terror,' 'war on terror.' Obama's using different words."