National Security Whistleblowers Criticize - Pentagon Blocks Testimony

[seemslikeadream]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 21, 2005
11:49 AM
CONTACT: National Security Whistleblowers Coalition, Project On Government Oversight
Beth Daley [e-mail] 202-232-4152 or 202-347-1122 or Sibel Edmonds [e-mail] 703-622-8944


National Security Whistleblowers Criticize Legislative Markup As Pentagon Blocks Able Danger Testimony

WASHINGTON - September 21 - A coalition of national security whistleblowers - including Able Danger's Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer - is critical of whistleblower protection legislation that House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-VA) has scheduled for a committee markup tomorrow. Underscoring the obstacles whistleblowers face, the news media reports that the Pentagon has blocked testimony from Able Danger whistleblowers who had been slated to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee today. According to AP, Able Danger was "a secret military unit that identified four 9/11 hijackers more than a year before the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks, according to the man's attorney."

Sibel Edmonds, president of the newly formed National Security Whistleblowers Coalition made this statement: "Chairman Davis and his staff have continued to disregard our requests for a Government Reform Committee hearing to discuss badly needed provisions that would apply to whistleblowers from the intelligence and law enforcement communities. Considering the unprecedented number of national security whistleblower cases since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it is appalling to see that the Chairman of the House Government Reform Committee refuses to extend protections to those courageous individuals coming forward."


The legislation to be marked up tomorrow has already been controversial. Whistleblowers and watchdog groups allege that Chairman Tom Davis mounted a sneak attack when he secretly inserted a provision on the bill aimed at exempting homeland security whistleblowers from protections. The provision was discovered days before the last markup and was criticized by labor unions as well as other Republicans on the committee such as Representative Christopher Shays (R-CT). As a result, Congressman Todd Platts (R-PA) introduced a new version of the bill (H.R. 3097) which took out the controversial homeland security exemption.


After that flare up, Chairman Davis promised hearings in the Summer, and then in the Fall, that would allow national security whistleblowers to testify about the challenges they face. Those hearings were never scheduled.


At the Committee hearing tomorrow, it is expected that several amendments may be offered which would do much to improve the situation for the national security whistleblowers.

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http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0921-06.htm

[Karenina]

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