This was not a mistake. The FBI has been covering up for it's self, Bush/Norquist/Rove and the CIA.
Paul Sperry and Debbie Schlussel have been on top of this from the start.
Posted on 02/16/2006 4:13:12 PM PST by ivyleaguebrat
Federal prosecutors and investigators in Dallas acknowledged in court documents that they mistakenly gave defense lawyers information about the inner-workings of secretive counterterrorism investigations.
It took federal officials four months to discover that in April they had turned over secret court applications for wiretaps, which often have sensitive information from U.S. and foreign intelligence agencies, according to court papers that were unsealed this week.
The materials were given to lawyers for the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development and seven of its senior officers, who have been indicted on charges they illegally funneled millions of dollars to support the Hamas militant group. The U.S. government designated Hamas as a terrorist organization in 1995.
Last month, U.S. District Judge A. Joe Fish sided with prosecutors in ruling that the defense lawyers should not have had access to the materials. The lawyers have been cleared to view documents classified as secret for purposes of preparing their defense, but they may not share the information with the defendants or anyone else.
The case against the now-defunct Muslim charity is built in part on wiretaps, informants and information provided by Israel, according to court documents.
The government intended to turn over intercepted communications in Arabic and summaries of written translations involving three people or organizations that were subject to orders from the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
The 16 boxes of classified information also contained "FISA applications, orders and other related material that should not have been provided to defense counsel," Assistant U.S. Attorney James Jacks wrote in a filing asking for the return of the documents.
Officials blamed the mistake on an unnamed FBI agent and clerical staff who were called in to help copy files because prosecutors and agents familiar with the case were involved in another trial.
Jacks, in a brief conversation with The Associated Press Thursday, declined to comment on the case, pointing instead to the government's numerous filings.
When prosecutors and FBI agents in August realized what had transpired, Jacks unsuccessfully sought access to the room in the courthouse that serves as an office for the defense lawyers in the case.
A few days later, Jacks went to the room and demanded to know what the defense lawyers were doing, Nancy Hollander, a member of the defense team, wrote Judge Fish in August.
The judge ordered the room sealed.
Both government and defense lawyers are barred from discussing exactly what was turned over, but defense lawyers have indicated they believe the information would help their case.
My thoughts exactly!
I don't see Congress pushing for this investigation
Even if this were an error--which I do not concede--there's something terribly wrong with assuming that the attorneys for the Holy Land Foundation would not discuss those classified materials with their clients just because they were instructed not to. I'm sure Lynn Stewart (now doing jail time), attorney for Sheik Omar Abdul Rahman, was told the same thing.
Some wrinkle.
Perhaps if we looked hard enough we would see enough "wrinkles" to declare the whole thing a complete mess.
This was not a mistake. The FBI has been covering up for it's self, Bush/Norquist/Rove and the CIA.
Paul Sperry and Debbie Schlussel have been on top of this from the start.
Marvelous.
turn back! there is still time! i have seen with my own eyes how law school transforms fine human beings into . . . lawyers. turn away while you stoll have the chance.
Here at 'Fair and Balanced' Eye Witness News, we feel it is prudent and safe to say that these Federal prosecutors have screwed the pooch! Film at 11...
Forget "Just damn"; file this one in the "F-n-A" category with the subheading "WE ARE SSSOOOO SCREWED!"
Officials blamed the mistake on an unnamed FBI agent and clerical staff
Most likely an unnamed MUSLIM FBI agent and MUSLIM clerical staff.
Vernon Jordan was/is the attorney for Holy Land
Everyone is assuming that the boxes of documents were legit.
Could it be that they contained more disinformation than information, and the intent was to lead the targets into certain actions?
This has happened several times in history and I would not be surprised if it happened again sometime.
Indeed; it's much easier to sell the "we are clumsy idiots" story than to admit you have unknown traitors in your midst.
Dog Gone has the right quote.
I'm speechless.
Not a mistake. Just another way to be a leaker, imo.
marker
I couldn't agree more.
This Holy Land Foundation has got friendly spies all over the place. Weren't they the group Judith Miller got involved with warning about an impending raid?
Something not right with these people, something not right with some of our agencies. There's spies amongst us and God help us the damage they can do.
I think the TMers need to see this. Just pinging a few names I know how to spell!
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