Ashcroft faces whistleblower secrets probe

[G_j]

ASHCROFT faces whistleblower secrets probe
United Press International - USA

This has probably been posted but I hadn't seen it here.
Ashcroft has been taking some heat lately. :-)

<http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040627-030547-4386r>

By Shaun Waterman
UPI Homeland and National Security Editor
Published 6/27/2004 10:10 PM


WASHINGTON, June 27 (UPI) -- The federal government's secrecy watchdog is conducting an inquiry into whether Attorney General John Ashcroft acted properly in classifying information relating to a lawsuit brought by a whistleblower from the FBI's translation unit.

Sibel Edmonds, a contract translator who blew the whistle on mismanagement, inefficiency and serious security problems, is suing the Department of Justice for violating her First Amendment rights by quashing her claims against the FBI with the rarely invoked "state-secrets privilege."

Her case relates to the way the translation unit in the bureau's Washington field office was run immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks. Edmonds has made shocking allegations about incompetence, lax internal security and deliberate efforts to frustrate the unit's work -- some of which have been acknowledged to be true by the FBI.

<snip>
Secrecy experts say the affair appears to be part of a pattern of behavior by the Bush administration: the abuse of classification procedures to stifle public debate about politically sensitive aspects of the war against terrorism.


WATCHDOG probes Ashcroft moves
Washington Times - Washington,DC,USA

<http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040628-123410-8862r.htm>

[shraby]

1. The one and only thing Ashcroft has

is audacity.

[TrustingDog]

2. sounds Josh Marshally tectonic to me.

[Cat Atomic]

3. Let the eeeeaaagle sooooooaaarrr!!!! Like she's never

soarn (?) befooooooorrreeee!

Pardon me, I just had a flashback.

[neomonkey]

4. What a voice

Best for all of us if in fact he does quit his day job.

[Slit Skirt]

5. it's good to see this story is finally ...

getting some mainstream coverage...she needs the media on her side..

[G_j]

6. I have "Sibel Edmonds" on google news alert

anytime her name appears in a story it is emailed to me. This was the latest. Her name is coming more often, which is definately a good sign in itself.

[dusty64]

7. He got away with contempt

of congress, why should this be a problem.

[enough]

8. Daniel Ellsberg says Ashcroft may do time over this cover-up.

http://www.breakfornews.com/Sibel-Edmonds1.htm
(link for Ellsberg statement)

The same site has a LOT of good background on this legal case:
http://www.BreakForNews.com/Sibel-Edmonds.htm