US challenges Rice, Hadley subpoenas

[rodeodance]

Source: ap



US challenges Rice, Hadley subpoenas

By MATT APUZZO, Associated Press Writer 10 minutes ago

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other senior intelligence officials should not be forced to testify about whether they discussed classified information with pro-Israel lobbyists, federal prosecutors argued in a closed-door court hearing Friday.

Two former American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbyists facing espionage charges have subpoenaed Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, Deputy National Security Adviser Elliott Abrams and several others to testify at their trial next year.

If their testimony is allowed by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, the trial could offer a behind-the-scenes look at the way U.S. foreign policy is crafted.

Although Ellis closed Thursday's hearing to the public, the government's opposition to the subpoenas was outlined on a court calendar entry.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070830/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/pentagon_spy_probe;_ylt=Av57FuHVTnu.yLDQ7LnXXtlH2ocA

[The Magistrate]

1. They Do Not Have, Ma'am, A Leg To Stand On In This Challenge

The right of the defense in a criminal trial to subpoena witnesses trumps everything....

"Justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done."

[annabanana]

2. Fascinating

Documents filed by attorneys for lobbyists Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman argue that the Israeli interest group played an unofficial but sanctioned role in crafting foreign policy and that Rice and others can confirm it.

"In other words, they'll tell us that back-channel disclosures are an everyday common practice?" Ellis asked in a hearing last year during a rare public discussion of the issue.

So Rosen & Weissman maintain that if Rice & Hadley etc. testify, they will confirm that AIPAC was crafting foreign policy.

[TwilightGardener]

3. This should be interesting...

[Doctor_J]

4. This would start us on a slippery slope

First this, then the next thing you know we'd get the details about dick's energy task force, then the Halliburton contracts. Pretty soon the citizens would know how the government works! God forbid!

[rodeodance]

5. looky, it involves Israeli interest group :

.......Documents filed by attorneys for lobbyists Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman argue that the Israeli interest group played an unofficial but sanctioned role in crafting foreign policy and that Rice and others can confirm it.

"In other words, they'll tell us that back-channel disclosures are an everyday common practice?" Ellis asked in a hearing last year during a rare public discussion of the issue.

That argument is a key to the defense.

The lobbyists are accused of receiving classified information from a now-convicted Pentagon official and relaying it to an Israeli official and the press. The information included details about the al-Qaida terror network, U.S. police in Iran and the bombing of the Khobar Towers dormitory in Saudi Arabia, federal prosecutors said.

But defense attorneys suggested that top U.S. officials regularly used the lobbyists as a go-between as they crafted Middle East policy. If so, attorneys say, how are Rosen and Weissman supposed to know the same behavior that's expected of them on one day is criminal the next?

[redqueen]

8. isn't it always criminal?

they just got away with it one day, and didn't the next?

[donkeyotay]

10. SOP or not, this IS the problem

"the Israeli interest group played an unofficial but sanctioned role in crafting foreign policy..." Whereas we have none. We marched, petitioned our grievances and were ignored. AIPAC has gotta go.

[POAS]

6. self delete

[acmavm]

7. Oh please, does anybody with tracable brain wave patterns really think

that AIPAC doesn't have a big say in how American foreign policy is crafted?

Sheesh!

[Supersedeas]

9. exposing Israeli influence on US foreign policy--can't have that