Replies

Finally, although I would LOVE to pin this on Gorelick & the Clinton Administration - 90% of these restrictions were already in place during the Reagan Administration!

My Post #616 casts doubt on this. According to this article, there was substantial co-operation allowed between intelligence and law enforcement during the years up to 1993, via OIPR and Mary Lawton, contrary to FISCR's assertion. The "Wall" was put in place by Richard Scruggs, working for Reno, in 1993 (early in Clinton's term).

From that post, I quote:

It is clear that, contrary to the FISCR’s assertion, Troung was a non-factor at the Justice Department (and particularly within the OIPR) during the 1980s. The FISCR was wrong. Neither Kenneth Bass III nor Mary Lawton—the only people in charge of OIPR from its creation in 1979 until 1993—ever considered Troung relevant to FISA nor did they ever advocate any kind of “wall.” Communication between the DOJ’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies was routine on their watch. The “wall” came later—along with the incorrect analysis of the importance of Troung to the FISA process—for one simple reason. Mary Lawton died.

I have been trying to stay on the military aspect of this as that is the only one from which I can speak with any authority (US Army counterintelligence from 1985 to 1990), and, everything I have said applied to us at the time.

In your quote regarding Mrs. Lawton, they are very specific in refering to "the DOJ’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies". Furthermore, the CIA and the FBI have been traditionally "kept apart" from the beginning.

Now however, in light of what you said, it becomes clearer to me that "Gorelick's Wall" (I just like the ring of that!!) was more a restriction on the DoJ than on the other agenices, in effect, making the restrictions that had long applied to other agencies "internal" (which makes the whole thing even MORE dirty than it already was!!)

The "Wall" was put in place by Richard Scruggs, working for Reno, in 1993 (early in Clinton's term).

Reno hadn't been in the administration long before the horror of Waco - something that would wed her to the ready excuse of a VRWC. It wasn't her acts that caused children to be burned to death, it was, it was, why it was the vast right wing conspiracy. IMHO she was played from the moment she took the job. And as you mention, played well. Much of the wall problem was in place as expat says -- but parts were added for advantage.