MSNBC: U.S. produces fewer terror convictions than officials claim

[usregimechange]

On Thursday, President Bush stepped to a lectern at the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy in Columbus to urge renewal of the USA Patriot Act and to boast of the government's success in prosecuting terrorists.

Flanked by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, Bush said that "federal terrorism investigations have resulted in charges against more than 400 suspects, and more than half of those charged have been convicted."

...

Fewer convictions than advertised
An analysis of the Justice Department's own list of terrorism prosecutions by The Washington Post shows that 39 people — not 200, as officials have implied — were convicted of crimes related to terrorism or national security.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8185798/

Primary Source:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/11/AR2005061100381.html

[usregimechange]

1. Let me know if anyone finds the WP link.

[bananas]

4. here you go

I don't know when part 2 will be published.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/11/AR2005061100381.html

U.S. Campaign Produces Few Convictions on Terrorism Charges
Statistics Often Count Lesser Crimes

By Dan Eggen and Julie Tate
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, June 12, 2005; Page A01

First of two parts
...
CONTINUED 1 2 3 4 Next >

[maddezmom]

32. here's another: The Terrorism Case That Wasn't -- and Still Is

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/11/AR2005061100379.html
and the link to the graphic:
330 Suspects Charged
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/dojstats/full330.html

[mcctatas]

2. Ummmmmm...

Is anything ever as the "officials" claim it to be?

[usregimechange]

3. Not when we are dealing with pathological liars.

[merwin]

21. Not in this administration.

[Erika]

5. And where is OBL? n/t

[intheozone]

6. And where is the anthrax mailer?? nt

[Erika]

12. My friend's son who has worked on the anthrax situation

for the last two years in D.C.is totally depressed. All their work has resulted in nothing. No charges, etc. You think it could be an inside job by this administration for the sole purpose of histrionic fear?

[leesa]

29. Of course it was. They know the anthrax came from a specific US

military site. Why don't they review the video of the guy coming in after hours, AFTER he had been fired? I don't think the investigative group is trying too hard.

[Supersedeas]

23. where is the ANTHRAX investigation Mr. President

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

35. There some that say the anthrax mailer is a right winger.

One who's some how attached to the anti-abortion movement. That's why the Bush mis-administration has been so slow to catch the perpetrator.

[NYC Liberal]

7. "crimes related to terrorism"

Do we have a list of these people and what "crimes" they were convicted of?

Because we all know how conservative the Bush admin is in labelling crimes "terrorism" :eyes::eyes:

[MisterP]

11. 7 are charged with running a "bad" website: media keeps talking

about riots and car burnings.
But they're not actually killing anybody, that's okay with George.

[NYC Liberal]

13. Hmm. I know a certain "bad" website that was advocating violence

towards the end of the Terri Schiavo case. ;) So I'm sure His Chimpyness is going to be right on the ball in investigating THAT. Right??

[Jade Fox]

8. Does the god damned press know the word LIE?

In other words, Bush told bald-faced LIES when he spoke. Why can't they
just say that? :mad:

[frylock]

10. see post #6

[usregimechange]

9. More evidence of the pattern of lies!

[Up2Late]

14. "...not 200, as officials have implied..." IMPLIED!?! More like LIED!

"...charges against more than 400 suspects, Minus "...more than half of those charged have been convicted..." does NOT equal 200.

(more than 400) O.K. lets say 425

Minus

(more than half) we'll say 55% not really a number most would risk the bad press by torture people,

So, 425 x 55% = 234

Now let's divide that by 4 years of destroying the U.S. reputation to the world = 59 per year, even if the Lie was true, not much to brag about.

Take 39 divided by 4 years ALMOST equals 10 convictions per year.

Sad.

[Straight Shooter]

16. They just left off the C-H, as in C-H I-M-P-L-I-E-D = Chimp Lied

Anyone who has been watching this administration's modus operandi for the last few years knows they're going to lie about this if they're going to lie about anything at all. I'm just surprised he didn't say 800.

[leesa]

30. And all for minor crimes.

[Contrary1]

15. And please tell us, wise leader of the most powerful country on earth...

just how many of those convicted were actual terrorists?

[oblivious]

17. I wonder if this 16-year-old was one of the 39.

Teachers and Classmates Express Outrage at Arrest of Girl, 16, as a Terrorist Threat
Published: April 9, 2005

At Heritage High School in East Harlem, where the student idiom is hip-hop and salsa, the 16-year-old Guinean girl stood out, but not just because she wore Islamic dress. She was so well liked that when she ran for student body president, she came in second to one of her best friends - the Christian daughter of the president of the parent-teacher association, Deleen P. Carr.

...According to a government document provided to The New York Times by a federal official earlier this week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has asserted that both girls are "an imminent threat to the security of the United States based on evidence that they plan to be suicide bombers." No evidence was cited, and federal officials will not comment on the case.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/09/nyregion/09suicide.html?ex=1118721600&en=aed0986785180d3e&ei=5070&oref=login

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1381775

[kerrygoddess]

18. Whopping Discrepancies on Terrorism Prosecution Claims from Bush

Washington Post Exposes Whopping Discrepancies on Successful Terrorism Prosecution Claims from Bush
12 June 2005



In the first of a two part series, the Washington Post has exposed whopping discrepancies in claims from Bush on Thursday that “federal terrorism investigations have resulted in charges against more than 400 suspects, and more than half of those charged have been convicted.” Bush made this claim, while “flanked by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales”, in a speech to promote renewing the Patriot Act.

Those statistics have been used repeatedly by Bush and other administration officials, including Gonzales and his predecessor, John D. Ashcroft, to characterize the government's efforts against terrorism.

But the numbers are misleading at best.

An analysis of the Justice Department's own list of terrorism prosecutions by The Washington Post shows that 39 people -- not 200, as officials have implied -- were convicted of crimes related to terrorism or national security.

Here is where it gets better…

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=1068

[magellan]

19. WaPost is outing Bush**'s lies? Someone catch me, I'm gonna faint!!

[radfringe]

20. question: at what point does OVERSTATEMENT become a lie?

I'm sick of these fluffy words - overstatement, misled etc. It's a freaking lie!

If you "overstate" deductions on your tax form does this mean you get a lesser penalty/fine as opposed to lieing on your tax forms? If you give "misleading" testimony in court does this mean perjury charges are less severe than if you lied? of course not - but apparantly this standard doesn't apply to the bushies

[Up2Late]

34. Hey, where did you get your dancing bananas?

Check out this little one.

[radfringe]

37. I made them

if you want a file copy - PM me with your e-mail and I'll send them out to you

or you can just "grab them"

[DoYouEverWonder]

22. So for a measly 39 convictions

it doesn't seem the Patriot Act is doing much good.

[kentuck]

24. And we're fighting a "war" and spending the nation's treasury ....

and lives on 39 measly convictions?

[rodeodance]

25. i have been waiting for an article such as this--as i heard bush rattle

off stats (jim leher show) one night and i bolted up--where the heck did those numbers come from!!!!!!


Head line should read.......than Bushies claim! (whimpy headline).

[rodeodance]

26. nominated--send to all news outlets as Bush is on the renewal swing

of the Patriot act (and new devestating provisions)---and most in congress agee with the snot. lets keep this on the radar screen!!

[indepat]

27. Please tell me officials haven't disassembled about terrorist convictions

[leesa]

28. Yes, Washington Post and MSRNC, we've known this was a lie since

Ashcroft was spewing it. Where have you been?

[DemBeans]

31. "officials" claim?

Why don't they come out and say that BUSH claims, since the story cites HIS baldfaced lie in the very first paragraph.

Our president lies, and that should be the headline.

[spanone]

33. I think that constitues a LIE wouldn't you???/

Isn't a lie something you say that isn't true???? How many lies can these lying liars get away with????

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

36. It gets worse

"Only one in nine individuals on the list had an alleged connection to the al-Qaida network, and only 14 people convicted of terrorism-related crimes — including Faris and Sept. 11 plotter Zacarias Moussaoui — have clear links to the group. Many more cases involve Colombian drug cartels, supporters of the Palestinian cause, Rwandan war criminals or others with no apparent ties to al-Qaida or its leader, Osama bin Laden."

[leesa]

38. This will disappear by Monday, nice Friday dump though.

[struggle4progress]

39. kick