Hamas case testimony in U.S. continues out of eye of public, press

[norml]

Hamas case testimony in U.S. continues out of eye of public, press
Sunday, March 12, 2006

By Megan Reichgott, The Associated Press


CHICAGO -- On the 12th floor of the federal courthouse in Chicago, a hearing is taking place in a terrorist money-laundering case that has all the intrigue of a spy novel, complete with Israeli agents, disguises and allegations of torture.

But two guards block the public from entering the hallway leading to U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve's courtroom, their impromptu post fashioned from a long table that stops traffic.

"Sorry, we're not letting anyone through," one of the men said Tuesday. "Come back later in the week." The hearing remained closed Wednesday.

Although experts say judges frequently take special precautions to protect witnesses, Judge St. Eve's decision to bar the press and public from the pretrial hearing to better safeguard the Israeli agents against terrorist reprisals has raised many eyebrows and incensed some civil-liberties advocates.

"I don't believe serving the interest of a foreign intelligence agency is high priority for the American people," said Ahmed Rehab, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Chicago. "A higher priority is a fair and open trial guaranteed in the Constitution."


snip


http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06071/667029.stm

[Drum]

1. This stinks!

Please let's don't go down that path with secret witnesses and proceedings...nothing good lies down that way.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. This be 2006, right? - why are the Feds using "evidence" from 1993 . . .

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From the posted Article:

Federal prosecutors want to use as evidence against Mr. Salah a confession obtained by members of the Israel Security Agency in 1993 after he was arrested there. Mr. Salah has said that the agents tortured him into confessing.
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Something indeed is a wee bit off-kilter here methinks

Hamas winning the election in Palestine couldn't have any influence on the GOP's agenda here, eh?

Nahhh.