US Gives Moussaoui Classified Documents by Mistake

Reuters ^ | September 26th, 2002 | Reuters

[LostThread]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government gave 48 classified documents to accused Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui by mistake in what the judge in his case called a grave security breach, according to court records released on Thursday.

The classified documents, which were FBI summaries of interviews, then had to be retrieved during several days of searches of Moussaoui's jail cell in Alexandria, Virginia, where he is being held in solitary confinement awaiting trial.

The classified documents were given to Moussaoui, the only person charged in the United States for the hijacked plane attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, by mistake over the past few months as part of the evidence turned over to him by federal government prosecutors.

Moussaoui, who is acting as his own lawyer, is not allowed to see classified documents. A Justice Department official said the government was "quite confident" that Moussaoui never read the documents.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, who is presiding over the case, cited the gravity of the security breach in ordering the material to be retrieved.

[VadeRetro]

Guess this means we have to kill him! (And fire somebody.)

[evad]

un-FReeking-believable

[Black Agnes]

Wonder how many xerox machines died an unhappy death before they got these documents back...

[Nouge]

What next...

"Pentagon emails war plan to Saddam by mistake"

[Black Agnes]

Wonder if it was a Clinton holdover that did this 'for a better world'?

[LostThread]

Lets hope he can't read....


Loose lips sink ships....

[Jean S]

This is odd. The AFP (sourced to ABC) had this story on Sept. 7.
US accidentally gave Moussaoui classified information on al-Qaeda: report

[brooklin]

This can't happen... They were federal employees after all.

[LostThread]

my bad.... !!!

[VadeRetro]

From your link:

Another source told the network that "cannonballs are rolling around at the Department of Justice and the (Federal Bureau of Investigation)" over the mishap.

Let's hope so.

[varon]

.......then had to be retrieved during several days of searches of Moussaoui's jail cell in Alexandria, Virginia, where he is being held in solitary confinement awaiting trial.

How palatial is this "solitary confinement" cell anyway to require several days of searches?

[Jean S]

my bad.... !!!

Not at all! I just think it's interesting that a judge finally determined this today when it was pretty much common knowledge.

[kayak]

The classified documents, which were FBI summaries of interviews, then had to be retrieved during several days of searches of Moussaoui's jail cell in Alexandria, Virginia, where he is being held in solitary confinement awaiting trial.

Okay, I'll admit that the only familiarity I have with jail cells is from tv and movies but could someone explain to me why it would take several days [!!!] to search a jail cell. You could search my whole house in a lot less time than that!!!

[kayak]

GMTA!

[William McKinley]

Sounds like a good way to get some disinformation out to the bad guys.

[Robert_Paulson2]

I wonder if it was really "a mistake"?

[Robert_Paulson2]

Now tell us, WHY is it that the president wants the power to fire people in homeland security without a hearing?

curious event to happen today, n'est ce pas?

[OReilly]

The U.S. government gave 48 classified documents to accused Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui by mistake.

This could only happen if the employee responsible was from the bottom of the employment pool. These employees are so ignorant, stupid, and annoying that they need to be protected by Democrats from justifiable retribution, like firing.

As Evad said, un-Freeking-Believable.

[aristeides]

Lets hope he can't read....

Fat chance. He has a British MBA. There's an article on him in the current New Yorker.