Russ Tice has been warned not to testify

[dajoki]

Village Voice
http://villagevoice.com/news/0604,hentoff,71823,6.html

The Ultimate Spiderweb
NSA whistle-blower wants to tell congress, but they don't have clearance to hear

by Nat Hentoff
January 20th, 2006 5:18 PM

Then and there the child Independence was born. — John Adams, in a Boston courtroom, 1761, hearing the argument of James Otis against the limitless violations of the colonists' privacy by the king—abuses that resulted, after the revolution, in the very specific privacy protections of the Fourth Amendment, which have now been discarded.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<<snip>>

There is, however, a former NSA officer who is eager to testify at an open hearing. Russ Tice, a former technical-intelligence specialist with NSA and the Defense Intelligence Agency, was also involved in the agency's SAPs (special access programs), which—Bill Gertz reported in the January 12 Washington Times—"are the most sensitive U.S. intelligence and weapons programs and are exempt from many oversight mechanisms used to check other intelligence agencies."

Russ Tice has been warned, however, by Renee Seymour, director of NSA's special access programs, not to testify about secret electronic intelligence programs because they are so super-secret; she emphasizes that "neither the staff nor the members are cleared to receive the information covered by the special access programs."

Russ Tice, Bill Gertz also reports, was a source for the New York Times story that has created the continuing fervor over Bush's further extension of his unilateral powers as commander in chief to do whatever he wants to protect our otherwise democratic and constitutional values.

<<snip>>

By my definition, Russ Tice is a patriot. He told Brian Ross: "If we basically come to the conclusion that we don't mind spying on millions of Americans to find, you know, a few bad eggs or some terrorists, then . . . I think you have to pretty much rewrite the Bill of Rights and change the laws around to adjust for that."

[Mnemosyne]

1. I fear for this man's life and

his freedom. He is a true Patriot.

Does this nightmare ever end?

V

[dajoki]

2. brave man n/t

[NoFederales]

12. The Nightmares become waking terrorism. Soon, Citizens will have to

choose between Fear All The Time, or becoming old fashioned Partiots where sacrifice is real, comfort and security a dream to work and fight to reestablish. There will be survivors, but who will they be?

Is this too harsh, or drear? How much more tipping of democratic principles will it take?

NoFederales

[Mnemosyne]

20. Not too harsh at all NoF, not at all.

The apathy I see is more frightening to me than the thought of fighting and dying to save our country and our freedom. I want to scream in the faces of those I hear spewing "If you have nothing to hide.." and that other idiocy "We're fighting them over there.."

I think the survivors will be those of us that are watchful and alert. You cannot truly fight something you do not see coming.

"In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.": Mark Twain - (1835-1910)

I have no clue how far it will have to go before people wake up, but with the fear and apathy I keep seeing, I fear it will go much further than we can even imagine at this point if it is not stopped now.

Peace
V

[f-bush]

3. We need to stand behind Mr. Tice

[notadmblnd]

4. thats why he needs to sing loud and clear

the only way he'll be safe is to shout if from the rooftops. Once it's out, there's no reason to kill him.

[dajoki]

5. don't underestimate...

the revenge factor.

[Mnemosyne]

6. I hope he's singing loud enough or

Gitmo is his next home, if he doesn't become distraught and kill himself with 2 bullets in the back of his head. :(

Gawd, I hate these evil creeps.

[KansDem]

8. I thought ratshot from two feet away was the "preferred method"

of "suicide" for those who become "distraught" after crossing the path of the Bushistas.

if he doesn't become distraught and kill himself with 2 bullets in the back of his head

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/baxterautopsy.html

BAXTER AUTOPSY POINTS TO MURDER
Freedom may be on life support in America, but it is still alive. By sending a mere $25 to the Offoce of the Medical Examiner of Harris County, Texas, The Great Speckled Bird has been able to obtain a notarized copy of the autopsy of former Enron executive, J. Clifford Baxter. A complete copy is attached. Here are the salient points as we see them:

1. Although the "Manner of Death" on page 1 is given as "suicide," no effort is made in the autopsy to support that conclusion, and, indeed, there is no supporting evidence for suicide in the autopsy. The conclusion could only have been reached based upon something extraneous to the autopsy.

2. The strongest evidence in the autopsy report is most consistent with murder. Under EVIDENCE OF INJURY on numbered page 3 we find, "The defect is stellate and, when the wound edges are repositiioned, measures 7.2 centimeters in the horizontal direction and 4.5 centimeters in the vertical direction."

This suggests a wound inflicted by a starburst of rat shot pellets which were far enough from the muzzle of the weapon to have separated from one another by as much as 2.83 inches before striking the head. Who would, or could, shoot themselves in the temple like this?

(more)

[Mnemosyne]

9. And they still listed the cause of Baxter's death as

suicide!!! How any of these bastards can walk with balls the size of monster truck tires is beyond me.

How can we fight creatures with the power to have such things listed as *suicides*?!!

Mad world, mad I say!

[0007]

7. Yes Sir, that is indeed good advice.

[EVDebs]

10. Bush's zenith of power stems from ignoring the WarPowersAct of '73

Which limits his powers to (truthful) circumstances and situations that clearly require the use of US military force...not discretionary war based upon pretexts, summoning the remembrance of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution based upon lies.

The current Joint Resolution allowing for use of force in Iraq is therefore unconstitutional. The truthful facts bear this out. Also, the Joint Resolution imbeds the WarPowersActof'73 within its text.

[sarcasmo]

11. Russ Tice a mondern day HERO.

[McCamy Taylor]

13. We need a SPECIAL PROSECUTOR, get clearance for him and Jury

[dajoki]

16. of course...

no impartial investigation in Congress.

[democrank]

14. Hope Russ Tice

never jogs alone at night.

[HereSince1628]

15. "Criminal? So what! It's too secret to share with the oversight panel cm.

Patriotism was once the last refuge of scoundrels.

Now it's the National Security Agency's Security.

[EndElectoral]

17. Tice..Sibel Edmonds...this country is now more about what people can't say

[orleans]

18. he needs to write everything down--EVERYTHING--and put people on

notice that if anything happens to him the whole scam will come out!

[Toots]

19. So Super Secret no one in Congress is allowed to hear it....

America by the people and for the people.....yeh right....Oh and "Home of the Brave" also.....

[dajoki]

21. of the rich...

and powerful and led by the chickenhawks.

[milkyway]

22. I love Nat Hentoff's classic remark about Bush:

"There will be a lot of hearings and talk about that," Bush says, "but that's good for democracy," a form of government on which he has been insufficiently briefed.

[dajoki]

23. and has no clue about n/t

[msatty99]

24. He should be subpoenaed to testify

I do think that you cannot ignore that there really are National
Security concerns about any technician giving open testimony about
our national security apparatus. However, it seems to me this man
wants to talk about the improper uses the apparatus is being made
to serve.

I doubt we would have wanted atomic scientists (for example) to testify
openly about the US development of nuclear technology when Hitler was
still operating and possibly able to put such information to use.

That is an altogether different thing from that same nuclear scientist
coming to Congress to inform America that members of his research group
were secretly plotting to seize the government...

Similarly, what I suspect (for no reason other than it would fit what
we generally know about power and human nature) is that he has information that the NSA has, in some instances, been used purely
for domestic political gain. It is not hard to imagine the powerful
seeking to obtain 'dirty laundry' of their political enemies to force
or blackmail complicity with 'wrong' policy or programs.

That is what I fear. That is why this man needs to speak out. I think
it is the only reason.

[dajoki]

25. who will subpoena him?

nothing fair in the works as far as i know.

[msatty99]

26. I presumed there must be some effort to form a hearing

..hence the opinion that he was not cleared to testify. I am probably
wrong. I was thinking that there had been some discussion about having
a hearing both on the NSA spying and on the leaks of the NSA spying.

[dajoki]

28. i think ...

the thugs are setting it up. that's what i meant by "fair".

[Hissyspit]

27. Another American hero to be silenced. Shades of Pentagon Papers:

"Don't talk about this! It's a security matter!" Read: "Shut up or you'll get us in trouble and ruin our un-democratic plans."