Posted on 04/22/2005 3:28:05 PM PDT by ex-Texan
City Pulls Out of Anti-Terrorism Task Force
The city of Portland is pulling its police officers from an FBI-led anti-terrorism team, after federal law enforcement leaders said they couldn't go along with a suggested compromise that would have given the mayor more oversight over the kinds of cases Portland officers investigate.
The two Portland officers assigned to the task force will keep their top-secret clearance, but they will no longer report directly to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Mayor Tom Potter said today.
Robert Jordan, the FBI's special agent in charge for Oregon, said that as far as he knows, Portland will be the first city in the nation to withdraw its officers from a Joint Terrorism Task Force. The task forces are FBI partnerships with local police forces that exist across the country.
Jordan conceded he and Potter had failed to overcome their differences over giving higher security clearance to the mayor.
"Unfortunately, despite all of our best efforts, we are unable to find a solution that is mutually acceptable," Jordan said in letter to Potter that was released by city officials today.
Potter and Portland city commissioners had threatened to pull out of the task force if federal leaders didn't grant them more oversight.
Potter delayed a vote late last month on a resolution that would have forced Portland to quit the team if the FBI didn't grant him the same security clearance as the officers involved.
He said that without more oversight, he couldn't guarantee that Portland officers would obey Oregon laws that bar police from investigating people strictly because of their political or religious ties.
Seeking a compromise, Potter met several times with federal representatives, including U.S. Attorney Karin Immergut and Jordan.
Representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union sat in on at least one meeting. Everyone involved said the talks were going well but would not discuss specifics.
Last month, federal officials offered Potter more briefings and said they were willing to at least talk about two ideas: lowering the clearance level of the Portland officers from top secret to secret - the level Potter and Police Chief Derrick Foxworth can receive - and placing the mayor on the committee that oversees the local task force.
Good. I dont like the idea of a liberal, leftist mayor of a liberal, leftist city having a security clearance, anyway. It is amazing that he puts his own status above those of the city that elected him..
Why of course, what would LIBERALS do without their ACLU?!
Portland is certainly a possible target. There seems to be a continuing terrorist interest in Seattle, perhaps as an entry point from Canada, and Portland isn't that far away. Both cities are congenial to terrorists, I would say.
If they get hit this same mayor will turn around and blame the feds for not protecting his city.
Dont twist my post-this type of elected official who puts politics above protection cant be trusted.
There's probably a very good reason from his past why they would refuse that clearance. Just because he got himself elected mayor does not make it worthwhile to give this sort of clearance to known risks.
the patriot act and fbi are abusing their police powers to supercede local governments, is the implication here.
seeing how the feds are inappreciative of the minutemen, and stopping illegal immigration, one has to wonder if they might be suffering from a lack of proper priorties.
maybe something is going on that our elected officials SHOULD know something about.
Hm, I'll be in Portland this September. Wonder what that'll be like..
This is as stupid as an anti-gun person putting this sign in the front yard: We don't believe in guns in this house.
Why does this mayor have to review the data to ensure his officers follow Oregon and Portland laws? Can't the officers be trusted to do so? They could refuse the FBI if and when they were told to do anything breaking the local laws. It sounds to me like the mayor is more worried about some Islamics being scrutinized for possible terrorist ties (yeah, like that could happen) than protecting the rest of the city's citizens.
"He said that without more oversight, he couldn't guarantee that Portland officers would obey Oregon laws that bar police from investigating people strictly because of their political or religious ties."
so say a America hating muslim cleric is off limits ...
mmm ... okay
fricken' hippy
I don't buy Hagmann's ideas about a conspiracy or his recent change of attitude in his opinions. But if Hagmann is even partly correct, either alternative may become operative now, in today's world (which is more dangerous than the Cold War."
Portland may become ground zero for whatever is going on pretty soon.
I find myself agreeing and disagreeing with the mayor at the same time.
The Police officers work for him and the city of Portland, he needs to have access to the same information his police officers do.
but at the same time I can't agree giving a lefty access to sensitive information. He's liable to have it posted on the 6:00 news for some obscure political purpose.
Then again, I also have to agree with him that the Police shouldn't be investigating people merely because they happen to be part of some particular religion.
then again...
etc.. etc.. etc..
people nowadays don't vote for integrity or patriotism or morality.....so, just anybody can get elected......
an election can not make someone who lacks character , have character....
I seem to recall that under Clinton, the FBI kept records on the Catholic Church and various pro-life groups.
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