DARK SECRETS

STATE SECRETS TRUMP JUSTICE Sibel Edmonds’ September Eleventh whistleblower case  was rejected without  comment by the Supreme Court. Edmonds had claimed key pre attack Arabic translations were bungled by the government and then covered up. Charges of espionage and security breaches followed.  When  Sibel Edmonds persisted in pressing forward, she was fired.  Her  whistle blower case has been distinguished by the government’s unwillingness to show its case in public.

THE GOVERNMENT CLAIMS states secrets privilege more than it admits, sixty times since the concept was born in the McCarthyite, anti communist hysteria of the Nineteen Fifties.  In most instances, the state secrets privilege has been used to prevent certain pieces of evidence from entering court. As evidenced in the Edmonds case,  the Bush Administration is expanding scope by seeking dismissal of entire cases.  National security turned out not to be the issue in the first case that formed the basis for thestate secrets privilege doctrine, United States v. Reynolds.  What was argued as a case involving secret military equipment and national security 50 years later turned out to be shoddy maintenance of the United States B-29 fleet.

IN THE EDMONDS CASE testimony given  to Congress in open session was later retroactively classified.  The way the Bush Administration uses the state secrets privilege the truth may be classified forever.

Edmonds Letter to September Eleventh Commission  via DED

Comments

[watertiger]

But...we're on the verge of winning this war!

[blogenfreude]

But...we're on the verge of winning this war!
Which one? ... against the Bill of Rights? Yeah, that's almost over!

[Pepper]

If the system of checks and balances really worked, Congress would step up to push it through. Or, to be even more idealistic, the Supreme Court would have heard the case. Instead, they are hearing the case of Anna Nicole Smith, in which she contests the will of her late, elderly, filthy rich husband.

Ah, a classy society we are, eh?

[Stacy]

Thanks for posting this- this story needs more attention. This administration has sought to increase the power of the Executive Branch and use 9/11 as an excuse- Cheney's office (and in particular, Libby and Addington) have lead the charge. I dont have the exact numbers but I believe Bush has claimed executive privilege more than any other president and this is also one of the most secretive administrations. I think this administration has surpassed the indignity and hostility of the McCarthy era, which is saying a lot.

Basically, conservatives need an enemy to be politically viable or else they have nothing- commies, homosexuals, terrorists (ie. muslim men), non christians, liberals- its a never-ending war. It reminds me of the last line in the book 'A Separate Peace' (one of my favorite books):

"All of them, all except Phineas, constructed at infinite cost to themselves these Maginot Lines against this enemy they saw across the frontier, this enemy who never attacked that way- if he ever attacked at all; if he was indeed the enemy."

[Neil Shakespeare]

"The truth may be classified forever." It may be. It may be. If it's still there by then.

[Hello people]

Hi, my sites:
6a6c1e5507ebbd13ee636f41fcc0f0d8