But Why?
Terror Prosecutors Thwarted by Washington, Documents Show

The lone Justice lawyer sent from Washington to help told his Detroit colleagues "he had no intention of participating in the trial" and refused to assist when an urgent issue arose involving a witness and the State Department, the Detroit office wrote.

Perhaps I don't have a sufficiently bureaucratic mind, but I don't understand why an administration supposedly good on terror didn't leap all over trying to prosecute actual terrorists. They could have freeking Made Shit Up like they do everywhere else, but they apparently had tons of evidence but didn't lift a finger.

The department's terrorism unit "provided no help of any kind in this prosecution," the U.S. Attorney's office in Detroit wrote in one memo, claiming that superiors in Washington hindered the case and sent a lawyer who chose to play basketball rather than assist prosecutors at trial.

The Detroit case ended last summer with the convictions, hailed by the Bush administration, of three men who were accused of operating a sleeper terror cell that possessed plans for attacks around the world.
...
A fourth defendant was acquitted, however, and only two of the four men originally arrested were convicted of terrorism charges. Now the convictions are in jeopardy because of an internal investigation into allegations that defense lawyers were denied evidence that could have helped them.

This doesn't sound like mere dropping the ball or mixups like they've been accusing the agencies of for the past several years -- so that we have to have yet another agency to do Condi Rice's job. Were they too busy with Iraq to concentrate on something genuine?

Ashcroft should be being flagellated by the press right about now. [ed. sound of crickets]

Good morning all. Another Monday, another week of revelations and scandals. Good thing these guys are keeping their penises in their pants else the country would really be in serious trouble. Will make my rounds and be back.

- posted by Cynthia @ 9:29 AM | | | Link |