[Just mythoughts]

"First, I did not invent the "wall," which is not a wall but a set of procedures implementing a 1978 statute (the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA) and federal court decisions interpreting it. In a nutshell, that law, as the courts read it, said intelligence investigators could conduct electronic surveillance in the United States against foreign targets under a more lenient standard than is required in ordinary criminal cases, but only if the "primary purpose" of the surveillance were foreign intelligence rather than a criminal prosecution."

---

I have not read the entire article, I refuse to "REGISTER" with the WP.

This paragraph is BS. What is not given is the "specific" reason for "a set of procedures implementing a 1978 statute". This attempts to make it sound like there was no choice but to finally implement a 1978 statute.

Something specific caused this need for the "procedures" being implemented.

"In a nutshell, that law, as the courts read it, said intelligence investigators could conduct electronic surveillance in the United States against foreign targets under a more lenient standard than is required in ordinary criminal cases, but only if the "primary purpose" of the surveillance were foreign intelligence rather than a criminal prosecution."

This is a cover blaming "courts" for her "MEMO".

What was the specific "criminal prosecution" that this bunch did not want it to be known "foreigners" were involved with?

[An.American.Expatriate]

Please read my post a bit farther down - it provides some of the history your looking for!!!

Essentially, the "what" of Gorelick's statement is true. Her failure to dislose the extent of her involvment in Counterintelligence Policy making is very troubling. She should be a witness, not a commissioner.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

What was the specific "criminal prosecution" that this bunch did not want it to be known "foreigners" were involved with?

I'm thinking Riady and certain Chinese gentlemen. Hmmm...

[Piranha]

I agree with you as well. One of the reasons why Gorelick has to resign and then testify in front of the Commission is that we have to find out why she wrote that memo in March 1995. We need a context.

[elbucko]

What was the specific "criminal prosecution" that this bunch did not want it to be known "foreigners" were involved with?

The "foreigners" would be Soviet agents legally or otherwise in this country or in a country where a U.S. citizen might make contact with them. The "criminal prosecution" would have been a charge of espionage against a US citizen. This puts US domestic security in a Catch-22. The very "wall" that U.S citizens of the Left needed to operate on behalf of the Soviet Union in the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's and part of the 90's.

It protected such spies as Armand Hammer. Gorelick and the Democratic Party, are still operating as if they are still in danger of being caught as spies.