Unwelcome Attention From Moussaoui Trial (NYT)

[struggle4progress]

By NEIL A. LEWIS and DAVID JOHNSTON
Published: March 25, 2006
WASHINGTON, March

.. other problems surfaced when the prosecutors presented two witnesses supposed to bolster their case that Mr. Moussaoui's lies made him responsible for nearly 3,000 deaths. The two witnesses testified that if he had told the truth on Aug. 16, 2001, the bureau could have moved swiftly to foil the plot.

The first witness, Harry Samit, an F.B.I. agent in Minnesota who questioned Mr. Moussaoui at his arrest, firmly asserted that had he been given the truth "we would have several new leads to investigate," and the plot might have been thwarted. Instead, he said, Mr. Moussaoui's answers sent investigators on "wild goose chases."

Under cross-examination by Edward B. MacMahon Jr., a court-appointed lawyer for Mr. Moussaoui, Mr. Samit acknowledged that after the attacks he had written strongly worded reports saying his superiors had improperly blocked his efforts to investigate Mr. Moussaoui. He added that he was convinced that Mr. Moussaoui was a terrorist involved in an imminent hijacking plot ...

He offered a devastating comment from a supervisor who said pressing too hard to obtain a warrant for Mr. Moussaoui would hurt his career. Mr. Samit also wrote that his superiors did not act because they were guilty of "criminal negligence" and they were gambling that Mr. Moussaoui had little to offer. The lost wager, Mr. Samit said, was paid in many lives ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/25/politics/25moussaoui.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[Old and In the Way]

1. Who was that supervisor? Frasca?

"pressing too hard to obtain a warrant for Mr. Moussaoui would hurt his career."

Maybe I'm missing something, but that sure echo's, LIHOP....

[oblivious]

2. That is incredibly damning evidence of LIHOP.

Wasn't he the one who was rewarded with a promotion for blocking the warrant request? And he wasn't very subtle about it.

[RC]

3. MIHOP. It has been known since the mid '90's that

something was being planned.
They did not just stand back and watch, our boys setup their own action under this cover.