[finnman69]

AP and FOX national have picked it up.

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[My2Cents]

This is interesting, but I hope conservatives and supporters of regime change in Iraq don't make too much of this. To do so would smack of what Clinton tried to do with his political opponents (e.g., Larry Flynt's "research" on Republicans).

[Positive]

He got caught TWICE and the case was dismissed?!?

On the other hand he's leaving for IRAQ today!!

Excellent! We may get two birds with one stone.

[LiteKeeper]

This is not exactly "news" - since it has been all over the web for three days.

[aristeides]

But lots of times papers don't carry stories on the AP wire that they don't like for political reasons.

[Petronski]

Ping for the big list.

[guitfiddlist]

I don't know what could be more obvious red warning lights pointing to a compromised person than somebody prone to pedophilia (as his arrest indicates), being stationed in Iraq for 7 years where he could be set up - suddenly doing a complete 180 in his public position on Iraqi WMD's - and then receiving $400,000 from Iraqi sources. If this is not out of the classic "turning of an agent" manual, I don't know what is. Basic stick and carrot - the more usual order for compromising somebody initially loyal.

To ignore his pedophila is not being an enlightened person, tolerant of widely diverse sexual mores - it is being a complete doofus as to the likely turning of this scumbag - as well as somebody who tolerates the most heinous crime in society's current hit parade of "Most Heinous" crimes you can do. And why? Not because Ritter is our friend...but because he's our enemy. Add another 2 points for being a dipsh*t.

[L.N. Smithee]

Albany County Assistant District Attorney Cynthia Preiser agreed to have the case adjourned in contemplation of dismissal, meaning the charge would be dropped if Ritter stayed out of trouble for six months, and the case was subsequently sealed, the newspaper said.

Two months earlier, Ritter, a former Marine intelligence officer, tried to meet a 14-year-old girl he chatted with online and was instead met by police officers, the Times Union of Albany reported Tuesday. Ritter was released without being charged.

District Attorney Paul Clyne fired Preiser last week because he said she failed to inform him about a "sensitive" case, but would not say what the case was.

You won't belieeeeeve where the name "Cindy Preiser" shows up in a cached Google search.

Now....this isn't necessarily the same Cynthia Preiser...but it might be interesting to find out if she went to Towson State University.

[cyncooper]

AP and FOX national have picked it up.

Finally! I was beginning to wonder.

I note that I was correct and the only denial from Ritter was issued at the very beginning of the story coming to a reporter's attention.

This article seems pretty complete, from the firing of the ADA to the report of the earlier encounter with police:

Two months earlier, Ritter, a former Marine intelligence officer, tried to meet a 14-year-old girl he chatted with online and was instead met by police officers, the Times Union of Albany reported Tuesday. Ritter was released without being charged.

I wonder if Ritter is on his way to Baghdad yet?

Ritter was scheduled to leave for Iraq late Tuesday

[MonroeDNA]

Wow, AP finally picked it up! This story has LEGS!!! Now the major media can't ignore it. Well done, Freepers!

Hey, how did this guy manage to get a warning when everyone else would have gone to jail over the same thing? There are plenty of stories, right here on FR, where a guy "meets" a girl (Police) somewhere, and gets thrown in jail for years.

Soliciting sex with a minor, or something.

[MonroeDNA]

I'm pretty sure some Freepers immediately thought of the blackmail angle when he went about-face.

Don't know how to search the archives for it, but you'll find it there.

[Constantine XIII]

THis is probably what ol saddam used to blackmail Ritter with.

[Lancey Howard]

Wow.
This is a very good and fairly complete synopsis by the AP.

The arrest of Scott Ritter, 41, who served as a weapons inspector in Iraq from 1991-98, was first reported by The Daily Gazette of Schenectady on Saturday.

One question I still have not seen answered:
What caused a reporter from The Daily Gazette of Schenectady to revisit an old story from a year-and-a-half ago ask the DA about it?

[ozzymandus]

Isn't it amazing how so many of the left's heroes turn out to be despicable (and hilariously stupid) perverts??
Whatever happened to Bob "Spank me, Baby" Beckel??