Judge OK's Broader Use of Espionage Laws

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

Washington -- In a ruling with potentially broad implications, a federal judge on Thursday said that the Bush administration could use espionage laws to prosecute private citizens who gain access to national defense information.

The decision appears to be the first in which a court has found that citizens other than government employees can be charged for receiving and disclosing secret government information, experts said.


"It's a momentous ruling with radical implications," said Steven Aftergood, who heads the Project on Government Secrecy for the Federation of American Scientists. "A lot of people who are in the business of gathering information, such as reporters and advocates, are now going to have to grapple with the potential threat of prosecution. The dividing line has always been between leakers, who may be prosecuted, and the recipients of the leak, who have never been. Now that dividing line has been erased."

The ruling is a significant victory for the Bush administration, which has been trying to clamp down on media disclosures of anti-terror programs since the Sept. 11 attacks.

At the same time, legal experts said, it could chill the ability of a broad segment of the public -- including lobbyists, academics and journalists -- to learn about the inner-workings of government and expose misconduct or controversial programs of public interest.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/boxing/la-na-aipac11aug11,0,1101487.story?coll=la-story-footer

[msongs]

1. the republican gestapo grows bigger every day - why do they hate

americans so much?

Msongs
www.msongs.com/2007politicalcalendars.htm

[drduffy]

8. for the freedom we used to have

[Mnemosyne]

2. H. Res. 895

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) supports efforts to identify, track, and pursue suspected foreign terrorists and their financial supporters by tracking terrorist money flows and uncovering terrorist networks here and abroad, including through the use of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program;

(2) finds that the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program has been conducted in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, and Executive Orders, that appropriate safeguards and reviews have been instituted to protect individual civil liberties, and that Congress has been appropriately informed and consulted for the duration of the Program and will continue its oversight of the Program;

(3) condemns the unauthorized disclosure of classified information by those persons responsible and expresses concern that the disclosure may endanger the lives of American citizens, including members of the Armed Forces, as well as individuals and organizations that support United States efforts; and

(4) expects the cooperation of all news media organizations in protecting the lives of Americans and the capability of the government to identify, disrupt, and capture terrorists by not disclosing classified intelligence programs such as the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c109:3:./temp/~c109owhJf7

It's coming to country near you.

[alfredo]

6. So journalist at bush's signing ceremony could be prosecuted

if they report (disclose) the existence of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program.

[Mnemosyne]

12. It's bad. This gives * all of the power

he has sought to cover/protect his nasty ass.

[NoodleyAppendage]

3. At what point do we collectively say, "Fu*k it," and storm the WH?

I'm ready for a revolution. It's time to combat the fascism that is determined to destroy our democracy.

Our forefathers are weeping in their graves.

J

[NoodleyAppendage]

5. It's called political speech, covered by the 4th Amendment.

Unless we've completely lost our spine and the Constitution no longer holds, I stand by my sentiment that the current cabal in the WH is subverting democracy and will lead to fascism. With each terror alert we see more and more pressure placed upon "security over liberty," which is exactly what is needed to break down the Constitutional protections standing in the way of the fascist designs of the Neocons.

J

[reprobate]

11. They're doing it exactly like Adolph did in in Germany in the 1930s

[drduffy]

9. when the commerical break is long enough

[drduffy]

10. Fuck Bush, the Bushista Govt. and that asswipe judge....

is there hope left for america?

[ShockediSay]

4. These guys were AIPAC spies, working for guess who

imo

& not merely "private citizens who gain access to national defense information."

read the link

[DoYouEverWonder]

13. That is the real issue

How many people in the M$M are CIA employees and/or assets at this point?

I don't mind protecting real journalists, but the ones who use the cloak of journalism to hid their covert activities should be treated has the traitors that they are.

[badgervan]

7. Another Nail....

.... in the coffin of our democracy. Which far-right repub judge is responsible this time? Of course, we all know that only dem judges are "activists". The oh-so honorable repubs would never violate our Constitution.... right? Right?
Yeah, right. Absolutely unbelievable. This should be the headline of every paper in the country today, and the lead topic on all cable news shows. Instead, we'll hear how the dems are "weak on terror", and when will we get a photo of the Cruise baby.
Best wake up quick, my fellow Americans.

[Tellurian]

14. More from the article:

"Some legal experts are skeptical of the judge's reasoning that safeguards are sufficient to prevent abusive prosecutions.

"It is predicated on an idea that the executive and judicial branches will operate with rectitude and only prosecute cases where there is a genuine risk of harming national security" rather than political considerations, said Jane Kirtley, a professor of media ethics and law at the University of Minnesota. "It presumes a degree of honest government that, sadly, does not always exist."

Aftergood and Kirtley said they knew of no other case where the United States was seeking criminal charges against someone other than a government employee who clearly violated a nondisclosure agreement. The ruling sets the stage for a trial that will probably provide an inside look into how Washington works.

Lawyers for Rosen and Weissman have indicated that a number of senior administration officials also provided the men with sensitive information and that they might be called as witnesses. Among them is Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who at the time of the alleged contact was White House national security advisor. "

The Judges ruling goes on the assumption Government is HONEST..
This should be a slam dunk for defense attorneys...using the Plame/Wilson case as the" abuse" example!