Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Rep. Conyers (Dolt-Mich): Calls for criminal charges against WikiLeaks founder 'extreme'
The Hill ^ | December 16, 2010 | Gautham Nagesh

Posted on 12/17/2010 9:07:04 AM PST by Zakeet

The Obama and Bush administrations have classified too much information unnecessarily and contributed to an overly secretive atmosphere surrounding U.S. policy, lawmakers at a House Judiciary Committee hearing said Thursday.

At a hearing on the legal implications of potentially prosecuting WikiLeaks, panel Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) said the group’s recent dissemination of classified diplomatic cables might have been embarrassing for the government but that the real-world consequences have been fairly modest.

He labeled calls for criminal charges against site founder Julian Assange "extreme measures" and said the widespread outrage in Washington is a sign that caution is needed before proceeding.

"Prosecuting WikiLeaks would raise the most fundamental questions about free speech, about who is a journalist and what citizens can know about their government," Conyers said. "The problem today is not too little secrecy but too much secrecy."


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; US: Florida; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: assange; conyers; dsa; florida; johnconyers; julianassange; michigan; treason; wikileaks
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-25 last
To: Captain Kirk
Please note that these are NOT top secret documents. They are embassy cables with a much lower classification.

True.

However, you are not arguing that Confidential classified documents should be public domain, are you?

As to your other point, if we define "national interests," as advancing American national defense, rather than policing the world, nobody has named a single example in the documents which undermines that goal.

The fact that relationships with our allies are somewhat undermined by these documents indirectly but definitely effects our American national defense.

21 posted on 12/17/2010 10:48:40 AM PST by Lazamataz (Only 19 days of Democrat fascism left!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Zakeet

Well, if your “marker” is the New York Times, for instance, who has published “top secret” information without criminal charges .. then I guess he’s right. This is “extreme.”


22 posted on 12/17/2010 11:07:24 AM PST by ThePatriotsFlag (You are just jealous because the voices aren't talking to YOU!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

I'm not yelling - just to lazy to change the caps on this Conyers timeline cut-n-paste to lower case:

At a hearing on the legal implications of potentially prosecuting WikiLeaks, panel Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) said the group’s recent dissemination of classified diplomatic cables might have been embarrassing for the government but that the real-world consequences have been fairly modest. Sure...Conyers is objective: /s

1979 : (JOHN CONYERS SPEAKS AT USPC NATIONAL CONFERENCE ALONG WITH WPC HEAD ROMESH CHANDRA [LATER EXPOSED AS KGB] -- See USSR, KGB, IDCC)

1980s : (CONYERS & DELLUMS AID NICARAGUAN SANDINISTA DICTATORSHIP)

1993 : (MOTOR VOTER LAW - See NLG, CONYERS)

1990s : (TRAVELGATE GRAND JURY INFORMATION IS LEAKED TO JOHN CONYERS BY GORELICKK'S ASSOCIATE DPTY AG MARGOLIS)

MAY 3, 2000 Wednesday : (CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING : THREE UN OFFICIALS - HANS VON SPONECK, DENIS HALLIDAY & SCOTT RITTER CALL FOR THE LIFTING OF SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAQ - US REPRESENTATIVES DENNIS KUCINICH, JOHN CONYERS & CYNTHIA MCKINNEY ALSO CALL FOR THE LIFTING OF SANCTIONS)

MARCH 11, 2003 TUE : (CONGRESSMAN CONYERS CONVENES MEETING WITH MORE THAN TWO DOZEN FAR LEFT LAWYERS TO CONSIDER HOW TO OVERTHROW THE PRESIDENT; ILLINOIS RADICAL FRANCIS BOYLE AND WTC BOMBING/TUNNEL PLOT CONSPIRATOR SHEIKH OMAR ABDEL RAHMAN'S LAWYER, RAMSEY CLARK {See ANSWER}, ATTEND -- See CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS, CPUSA, WCW)

JUNE 16, 2005 Thursday : (JOHN CONYERS JR. PRESIDES OVER UNOFFICIAL & PARTISAN MOCK "HEARING" ON THE DOWNING STREET MINUTES aka DOWNING STREET "MEMO"; JOSEPH WILSON WAS ON THIS FOUR-PERSON PANEL [AS WAS CINDY SHEEHAN AND VIPS' RAY MCGOVERN OF NIGERFLAP & ELLSBERG LEAKS FAME)

JANUARY 3, 2006 FRI : (GHANA : FORMER JOHN CONYERS AIDE DEWAYNE BOYD IS ARRESTED IN ACCRA)

2006 : (PROSECUTION OF FORMER ALABAMA DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR SIEGELMAN - NOTORIOUS FOR REFUSING TO LEAVE THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION WHEN HE WAS VOTED OUT OF OFFICE- ON CORRUPTION CHARGES --- See JOHN CONYERS' "INVESTIGATION" OF THE PROSECUTION)

JUNE 2009 : (DETROIT CITY COUNCILWOMAN MONICA CONYERS, WIFE OF US CONGRESSMAN JOHN CONYERS [D-MI], SIGNS PLEA AGREEMENT IN BRIBE CASE--- See PENSION FUNDS, DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA, ACORN PROBE, REVOLUTIONARY COMMUNIST PARTY FRONT "WORLD CAN'T WAIT" GROUP, HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE )

23 posted on 12/18/2010 10:56:13 PM PST by piasa
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grellis; AdmSmith; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; bigheadfred; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Thanks Zakeet.
24 posted on 12/21/2010 6:52:59 PM PST by SunkenCiv (The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Springman; sergeantdave; cyclotic; netmilsmom; RatsDawg; PGalt; FreedomHammer; queenkathy; ...

If you would like to be added or dropped from the Michigan ping list, please freepmail me.


25 posted on 12/21/2010 8:06:05 PM PST by grellis (I am Jill's overwhelming sense of disgust.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-25 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson