WP: U.S. Campaign Produces Few Convictions on Terrorism Charges

[Roland99]

First of two parts
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/11/AR2005061100381.html

On Thursday, President Bush stepped to a lectern at the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy in Columbus to urge renewal of the USA Patriot Act and to boast of the government's success in prosecuting terrorists.

Flanked by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, Bush said that "federal terrorism investigations have resulted in charges against more than 400 suspects, and more than half of those charged have been convicted."

Those statistics have been used repeatedly by Bush and other administration officials, including Gonzales and his predecessor, John D. Ashcroft, to characterize the government's efforts against terrorism.

<...>

An analysis of the Justice Department's own list of terrorism prosecutions by The Washington Post shows that 39 people -- not 200, as officials have implied -- were convicted of crimes related to terrorism or national security.

[wiggs]

1. You know...this is getting old.

Our president is lying to us constantly....and no one except blogs and message boards seems to think it's important! I mean, there are some of his lies that could be "gray". But when he stands up there and says that 60 stem cell lines exist, or......that he never said that he didn't care about OBL, or....200 people have been convicted (as opposed to 39), SOMEONE IN THE PRESS HAS TO CALL THESE THINGS LIES!

Even this WP headline just calls attention to the subject....not to the bigger issue of a dishonest adminsitration.

My first version of this post started off with a lot of swearing and capital letters, but I decided not scream out loud....

[indepat]

2. Please don't tell me anyone in this Administration would ever disassemble

on any subject.