How long do we have to take this?
Atrios is right, where was the outrage at Ashcroft's behavior before the 9-11 commission, specifically his sudden declassification of Jamie Gorelick's memo regarding "the wall" between intelligence agencies.
Here's Gorelick's response, showing that she didn't build the wall, Reagan appointees did. Moreover, here memo was actually intended to "lower the wall" for the investigation of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. In fact, Ashcroft's DoJ reaffirmed the need for strict interpretation of the statute.
"Fourth, the memo I wrote in March 1995 -- which concerns information-sharing in two particular cases, including the original World Trade Center bombing -- permits freer coordination between intelligence and criminal investigators than was subsequently permitted by the 1995 guidelines or the 2001 Thompson memo. The purpose of my memo was to resolve a problem presented to me: facilitating investigations on both the intelligence side and criminal side at the same time. My memo directed agents on both sides to share information -- and, in particular, directed one agent to work on both the criminal and intelligence investigations -- to ensure the flow of information 'over the wall.' We set up special procedures because of the extraordinary circumstances and the necessity to prevent a court from throwing out any conviction in those cases. Had my memo been in place in August 2001 -- when, as Ashcroft said, FBI officials rejected a criminal warrant of Moussaoui because they feared 'breaching the wall' -- it would have allowed those agents to obtain a criminal warrant without fear of jeopardizing an intelligence investigation."
Isn't it time that the mainstream press start scrutinizing the Bush administration's reluctance to share information necessary for a free and informed public, such as Cheney's dialogs with energy executives, while at the same time whimsically declassifying information intended to smear -- or endanger -- their enemies?
Ashcroft's decision to try to save his ass by diverting attention to a nine-year old memo led to the usual bloviating by the right, particularly the big fat drug addict. It has also led to death threats against Gorelick.
Here's Gorelick's response, showing that she didn't build the wall, Reagan appointees did. Moreover, here memo was actually intended to "lower the wall" for the investigation of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. In fact, Ashcroft's DoJ reaffirmed the need for strict interpretation of the statute.
"Fourth, the memo I wrote in March 1995 -- which concerns information-sharing in two particular cases, including the original World Trade Center bombing -- permits freer coordination between intelligence and criminal investigators than was subsequently permitted by the 1995 guidelines or the 2001 Thompson memo. The purpose of my memo was to resolve a problem presented to me: facilitating investigations on both the intelligence side and criminal side at the same time. My memo directed agents on both sides to share information -- and, in particular, directed one agent to work on both the criminal and intelligence investigations -- to ensure the flow of information 'over the wall.' We set up special procedures because of the extraordinary circumstances and the necessity to prevent a court from throwing out any conviction in those cases. Had my memo been in place in August 2001 -- when, as Ashcroft said, FBI officials rejected a criminal warrant of Moussaoui because they feared 'breaching the wall' -- it would have allowed those agents to obtain a criminal warrant without fear of jeopardizing an intelligence investigation."
Isn't it time that the mainstream press start scrutinizing the Bush administration's reluctance to share information necessary for a free and informed public, such as Cheney's dialogs with energy executives, while at the same time whimsically declassifying information intended to smear -- or endanger -- their enemies?
Ashcroft's decision to try to save his ass by diverting attention to a nine-year old memo led to the usual bloviating by the right, particularly the big fat drug addict. It has also led to death threats against Gorelick.
posted by John at 11:09 AM
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