US Puzzled About Spain's Reluctance to Let FBI Assist in Bomb Probe

[NNN0LHI]

My guess would be that it is because the FBI has not been ruled out as possible suspects yet?

U.S. Officials Say They're Puzzled About Spain's Reluctance to Let FBI Assist in Bomb Probe

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAX8CADZRD.html

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. officials say they are puzzled at Spain's reluctance to let FBI experts assist in the Madrid bombings investigation and worry that clues might be missed that could link the attack to others around the world.

So far the FBI's only involvement is a limited one involving examination of fingerprints and assistance in background investigations of the suspects.

The bureau has offered to do more but the Spanish have not accepted. Two senior U.S. officials, speaking Thursday on condition of anonymity, said the concern is that the broader war on terror may suffer if the FBI's expert team is frozen out of the investigation.

"Even if Spain has all the competencies that we do, there are things we know that they don't know about al-Qaida, its resources and its people," said Paul Rosenzweig, a former federal prosecutor who is now a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington. "There's no substitute for sharing."

morer

[IndianaGreen]

1. Duh? Is the concept of "sovereignty" alien to Americans?

Would anyone trust Ashcroft's shock troops on their soil?

[BayCityProgressive]

2. give me a break

did we havesecret agents fo europe over hear investigating 9/11or the anthrax attack? If they are wit holding info from the Spanish thats even more of a reason not to let them in.

[displacedtexan]

3. LOL! Good catch!

"Even if Spain has all the competencies that we do, there are things we know that they don't know about al-Qaida, its resources and its people," said Paul Rosenzweig, a former federal prosecutor who is now a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington. "There's no substitute for sharing."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[atreides1]

15. And Besides...

...how can our agents collect souveniers if that can't get near the trains. "sarcasm off"

[Cursive_Knives512]

4. Oh right, I forgot..

I forgot that America owns the rest of the world and whatever we want we can have. I must've missed that in U.S. History 101. *please note sarcasm*

[eissa]

5. I understand the frustration

on the part of US officials...it's hard to plant evidence when you're not allowed near the site.

[Tinoire]

34. LMAO. Thanks for the black humor laugh during yet another

Good News Week (Hedgehoppers / from the 60s)


It`s good news week,
Someone`s dropped a bomb somewhere,
Contaminating atmosphere
And blackening the sky,
It`s good news week,
Someones found a way to give,
The rotting dead a will to live,
Go on and never die.

Have you heard the news?
What did it say?
Who`s won that race?
What`s the weather like today?

It`s good news week,
Families shake the need for gold,
By stimulating birth control,
We`re wanting less to eat.

It`s good news week,
Doctors finding many ways,
Of wrapping brains in metal trays,
To keep us from the heat.

It`s good news week,
Someone`s dropped a bomb somewhere,
Contaminating atmosphere
And blackening the sky,
It`s good news week,
Someones found a way to give,
The rotting dead a will to live,
Go on and never die.

Ha...


MP3 sample available here: http://ubl.artistdirect.com/store/artist/album/0,,1708653,00.html

[Jacobin]

6. Bwaaahahahahaha

Clue phone ringing for the officials who are puzzled.

Figure it out. The U.S. was responsible for talking Spain into this quagmire and it cost them plenty.

Now we are there to "help them out"????????????

[boobooday]

9. With US as friends

Who needs enemies?

We don't exactly look like Columbo here in these last few "criminal" attacks.

John Ashcroft -- would you hire him to investigate anything?

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[Jacobin]

42. Hey don't sell Ashcroft short

Remember:

After a year long investigation he found TWELVE whores in New Orleans!! Now, that tooks some real talent!!

AND:

He was able to determine that Lady Liberty had a breast exposed and spent $8,000 on drapery to cover it up, so that the citizens of Murka no longer were exposed to the sight (egads) of a Baby Bottle!!!

[izzie]

7. Since when are the FBI smarted than people in Spain?

This country is really something else.

[genius]

8. Duh! They don't want the FBI altering evidence.

I guess they want an honest investigation.

[KittyWampus]

10. Is This From The Onion?

?

[July]

11. Let me get this straight.

"There are things we know that they don't know about al-Qaida, its resources and its people . . . There's no substitute for sharing." OK, which is it? We didn't share with one of our few coalition partners while they were actively on our team -- but there's no substitute for sharing now? Huh?

Also, clue phone's ringing: the Spaniards have been dealing with terrorist bombings since 1968 (ETA). I think they can handle it.

[revcarol]

46. We wouldn't even cooperate with the Germans.

Their terror suspects were found not guilty, in large part because the U. S. wouldn't allow "secret" information out of its hands. Or may be there was no evidence...

We have shown ourselves to be uncooperative and liars. Why should they want us? Let them deal with the terrorists. They're more experienced than we are.

[MasonJar]

12. O-lay! Spain you are the man!

[havocmom]

13. FBI not IBI

Fellas, you work in the good ol USofA. There is already an international bureau of investigation, it is called INTERPOL.

Jeeze, do they think we ran out of crime here for them to snoop around?
There are some folks in DC who seriously need to get over the hope that they are the boss of everyone. Are they supposed to cover someone's tracks?

Have they discovered who outed Ms Plame yet? Did they uncover Hoffa's body?

[Art_from_Ark]

30. Don't forget Jon Benet Ramsey

And the anthrax mailer

[0007]

14. I think Spain is doing the right thing.

Why do we think that we're the only ones that have a brain?

"There's no substitute for sharing, said Paul Rosenzweig" - Sharing is good. But Spain does not trust the U.S. And the U.S. is good at Planting evidence, twisting and spinning and putting a wedge between the people. The people of Spain will have none of it!!

[July]

20. I wonder about Aznar, too.

He's a true Bush ally, and he's still in charge, BUT the government changes hands in a month or two. I'm wondering if he thinks cozying up to his twin Bush will only worsen the loss of credibility that cost the PP the election. Otherwise, I can't see why he wouldn't be welcoming Bush people in. Maybe the parties have a "gentlemen's agreement" about not undertaking moves that will be inherited by the other party? I really don't know right now, I'll be checking the Spanish press, though.

[0007]

32. There may be something to what your saying!

[Florida_Geek]

16. Remember John

"FBI Deputy Director John O'Neill resigned from his post over George W. Bush's policy on terrorism and Osama bin Laden. Specifically, O'Neill's department was told to "back off" their bin Laden and Al Queda investigations while the Bush administration negotiated with the Taliban." *

* http://www.rememberjohn.com/

[UpInArms]

17. Egads Man! Are these people truly

this blightedly ignorant?

I guess that they think that since our troops can stay in Iraq with an invitation issued only by our feckless leaders, they can go and barge in on a country that is a democracy and is taking care of its own business just fine?

Who the hell would want these keystone cops running around destroying valid evidence whilst leading them down yet another primrose path?

Let's see - what was that other country this morning that said it felt "misled" by our government's claims?

Oh yeah, Poland.

So get a grip BFEE, your tenacles do not get to take over the entire world.

The FBI is not a Spanish agency. What else do they need to know?

[Rex]

18. Two words - John Ashcroft

No one (besides the criminally insane) trusts the FBI because the boss of bosses is a puritanical loony who thinks calico cats are agents of Satan. FBI = Ashcroft = BFEE. 6 degrees of separation my ass.

[Misinformed01]

19. I laughed my ass off at this headline!

Jesus Christ, we have some nimrods in DC right now...are they stoned or just stupid?????

[nicecakes]

21. When they want our help they'll ask for it

When they want our military or monetary aid they'll demand it...

Can't have it both ways always.

[54anickel]

24. Huh? They'll demand our military or monetary aid?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

26. Oh, brother.

[RandomKoolzip]

31. Nice try, dude.

[Malva Zebrina]

22. who would trust anything coming out of the Bush administration?

this is a direct result of Bush's bull headed and stupid foreign policy. I do not blame anyone for not letting any organ of the Bush administration coming in and digging around in their country as if they owned it.

This is not Spain's fault--the blame lies totally on Bush and his arrogance and his bully tactics as well as his crass, lack of manners and intelligence.

I do not blame them one bit--they are protecting themselves from a tyrant and that happend to be, unfortunately, our president.

[snippy]

23. Why would Spain want help from a US government full of nothing but

proven liars who have been known to falsify evidence?

FIRE THE LIAR

[Just Me]

25. Kinda' insulting to the 99% of the rest of us who aren't the "rulers"!!!

It really bugs the crap out of me whenever "think tanks" hold themselves out as being our whole country. They don't speak for me or a bzillion like me!!!

[Gin]

27. when does the new govenment take over? the Aznar regime is still in

isn't it?

[July]

28. I believe they have to "form a government" by April 2.

I'll have to check on that, though.

I think that means they name their ministers and formally present the new govt. to the king.

What I've read/heard is that it will take about a month and a half to two months for the transition.

[teryang]

29. Who's country is it? I'm not puzzled.

...The BFEE trys to inject the FBI into every bombing investigation around the world. With their pitiful performance to date regarding 911 and the anthrax attacks, it is quite apparent that the major function of the FBI is obstruction of justice and concealment of evidence on behalf of the BFEE.

Their lab has a reputation for faking evidence that goes back decades. A major function of the Justice department in all administrations is political damage control and obfuscation of evidence to derail prosecutions of the politically connected and the politically sensitive "national security operations." Many times these national security operations involve illegal activities like arms trafficking, drug trafficking, money laundering, murder, bombings etc.

The FBI is definitely not trustworthy.

[oneighty]

33. When did the FBI

Get permission from Congress to operate out side of the good ole US of A? I have been under the impression over the years the FBI only had powers within borders of US of A.

180

[specimenfred1984]

35. Obstruct 9-11 Investigation but RUN, HELP SPAIN?

The cruelty of this hypocritical bunch of conspiratorial-minded WMD liars smacks America in the face everyday.

Save Spain but put off the 9-11 investigation; Free Iraq by killing 10s of 1000s of Iraqis and stealing all their resouces; Overhall medicare so the elderly can't afford healthcare; Powell reassuring India that we'll keep outsourcing jobs:

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[truthisfreedom]

36. World Bureau of Investigation would be WBI, right?

[proud patriot]

37. well they just did such a dandy job investigating 9/11

I just can't understand it ( sarcasm end )

[Liberal Veteran]

38. Once the FBI was done, Saddam would be the culprit.

Or John Kerry.
Or Iran or Syria.

[ithacan]

39. they are absolutely right to NOT TRUST the Bush regime

the FBI at this point is an extension of the Bush regime; it is part of the executive branch and is under Ashcroft's Dept. of Justice if I'm not mistaken.

There is just SO MUCH evidence out there that NO ONE who opposes the Bushies should ever trust them. Bush will screw over anyone who does not agree and support him.

This is a very wise move by the Spanish. The Europeans are so much better and more knowledgeable and experienced at investigating and fighting terrorism than the US is anyway...

[spotbird]

43. IMO it is much worse than that.

The Spanish think the US may have had something to do with the attack. Earlier this week there were reports that the bomb components were American made. There was also a story that Bush&Co. believed that if AQ hit Europe that would rally support for the invasion.

The Bush people still think that the Europeans are as gullible as the Americans. Maybe they will never learn that the European populations know that the invasion changed AQ from a terrorist group to a movement.

[ithacan]

47. that would not surprise me at all

the Bushies have shown time and time again that they will resort to anything, thuggery deceit you name it, to get their way.

And as I think about the reaction of the right wing echo chamber, which is so absolutely ridiculous and out of touch with what actually is going on in Spain, this does seem to make sense.

[truthspeaker]

40. The FBI doesn't exactly have a good track record with Al Qaeda

Ask Colleen Rowland.

[w4rma]

41. They don't trust BushCo, imho . (n/t)

[flamingpie2500]

44. Thank God--maybe we will finally get some truth to what is going on.

I don't trust our gov't, cia, fbi, why should another foreign country?

[smiley_glad_hands]

45. Bush Has Politisized(sp?) & Marginalized American Foreign Policy,

International Law Enforcement, and Intelligence. This is why Bush must go. His supporters want a Reaganesc image---strong and forceful---what they don't realize is this is not the 80's. There is no Soviet Union for the rest of the world to distrust more than us.

[The Backlash Cometh]

48. This is what happens when an agency loses credibility.

Not to mention that there has been a great deal of failed decisions made because of their poor intelligence and sloppy investigative work.

[leesa]

49. It's not the agency, it is the US that has lost all credibility.

They have shown over and over again that they will tamper with evidence, plant phony documentation and "proofs" and relay false information. They do not trust the US and they have every reason not to.

[9215]

50. It is seldom, if ever, a good idea

to have those suspected of committing the crime involved in its investigation. :)

[wildwww2]

51. It`s because we don`t have an elected leader. Trusting a court

installed nincompoop like Bu$h might make Spain`s new elected leader look as neglectful as Bu$h when he received warnings of 9-11 style attacks on his desk on AUG 8 2001. But forgot to warn airlines, or people, or anybody. And any real investigation must be left full of blank pages. Why wouldn`t they trust Bu$h Inc.`s FBI? Because they are not as stupid as about 50 percent of the American people. That is why.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President