NSA Leak Probe: Shooting the Messenger?

[rodeodance]

http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0103-07.htm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 3, 2006
2:50 PM


CONTACT: Institute for Public Accuracy
Sam Husseini, [phone]; or David Zupan, [phone]

NSA Leak Probe: Shooting the Messenger?


WASHINGTON - January 3 -

SIBEL EDMONDS, [e-mail], http://www.justacitizen.com

WILLIAM WEAVER, [e-mail], http://www.nswbc.org

Edmonds is director of the National Security Whistleblowers Coalition. She said today: "Without whistleblowers the public would never know of the many abuses of constitutional rights by the government. ... But will they be listened to by those who are charged with accountability?"

Weaver, senior adviser to the group, added: "Ordinarily one would expect the Congress to be the guardian of our freedom by living up to its storied role as a check and balance to the president and the executive branch. But for four years, members of our Congress on supposed oversight committees were aware of illegal spying on American citizens."

Edmonds worked as a language specialist for the FBI's Washington Field Office. During her work there, she reported serious acts of security breaches, cover-ups, and intentional blocking of intelligence. After she reported these acts to FBI management, she was fired in March 2002. Since that time, court proceedings on her issues have been blocked by the assertion of "State Secret Privilege" by the attorney general. The Congress of the United States has been gagged and prevented from discussion of her case through retroactive re-classification by the Department of Justice.

Weaver is associate director of faculty for the Institute for Policy and Economic Development in the Center for Law and Border Studies at the University of Texas at El Paso, where he specializes in executive branch secrecy policy, governmental abuse, and law and bureaucracy. Weaver worked in U.S. Army signals intelligence for eight years..........