Sibel Edmonds & Whistleblower Coalition - 4/28/05

[reprehensor]

National Security Whistleblowers Coalition: Congress, Whistleblower Protection & Accountability

What: An unprecedented group of national security whistleblowers have formed a united front as the National Security Whistleblowers Coalition (NSWBC). They will collectively attend two bipartisan congressional meetings today to demand that Congress act to end government retaliation against those who expose national security blunders, that Congress hold hearings into the federal government’s actions against whistleblowers, and that Congress act to require ‘individual accountability’ for retaliation against whistleblowers. The congressional meetings will be followed by a press conference featuring speakers from the NSWBC and guest speakers.

Date: Thursday, April 28

Time: 1:30 PM- 3:00PM

Location: 122 Cannon House Office Building, SE, Washington, DC

Background: Since the September 11th terrorist attacks, whistleblowers have felt compelled to come forward in greater numbers to address our nation’s security weaknesses – in fact almost 50% more have sought protection annually under the Whistleblower Protection Act since that terrible event. However, patriotic truth-tellers across a variety of federal agencies have no protection against retaliation when they blow the whistle. Today, the federal government’s policies support and reinforce wrongdoers who would seek to silence whistleblowers by demoting them, taking away their security clearances, or firing them. In recent days that point was illustrated in the case of FBI Special Agent Robert Wright, who has been critical of the FBI’s efforts to pursue terrorists. Without whistleblower protections, agencies will continue to quash truth tellers and national security weaknesses will be allowed to fester underneath the growing cloak of secrecy.

more@link

[jen4clark]

1. Related link

Thank you reprehensor! Here's more on that. I hope these people have protection. I truly fear for them.

Sibel Edmonds, Other National Security Whistleblowers Form Coalition to Continue the Fight for Reform, as Explosive New Info Revealed

http://www.balkanalysis.blogspot.com/2005/04/sibel-edmonds-other-national-security.html

[Al-CIAda]

2. Intercepts tied 911 Drug Money to U.S. Election Campaigns

FBI Linguist won't Deny Intelligence Intercepts tied 911 Drug Money to U.S. Election Campaigns

by Tom Flocco
TomFlocco.com
April 25, 2005

The irrepressible Mr. Flocco's take on the Perils of Sibel. - Ed.
Washington -- Former FBI contract translator and whistleblower Sibel Edmonds and her attorneys were ordered removed from the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse so that a three-judge U.S. Court of Appeals panel could discuss her case in private with Bush administration lawyers.

In an exclusive interview on Saturday, we asked Edmonds if she would deny that laundered drug money linked to the 911 attacks found its way into recent House, Senate and Presidential campaign war-chests, according to what she heard in intelligence intercepts she was asked to translate.

"I will not deny that statement; but I cannot comment further on it," she told TomFlocco.com, in a non-denial denial.

Edmonds is appealing the Bush administration's arcane use of "state secrets privilege," invoked last year to throw out her U.S. District Court lawsuit alleging retaliation for telling FBI superiors about shoddy wiretap translations and allegations that wiretap information was passed to the target of an FBI investigation. Given our multiple reports and numerous other interviews, Edmonds heard much more--but enough to warrant public suppression of criminal evidence by a wholly Republican appeals court panel?

"Tom, I'm telling you that not a single newspaper covered what happened to me on Thursday when I went into court," said the exasperated translator, adding, " Ginsberg kicked everyone out, cut off my lawyer's arguments and told us 'we have questions to ask the government's attorneys that you cannot hear.' "

Criminal evidence in Edmonds' explosive case is apparently getting too close to Washington officials, since the former contract linguist also told us she would not deny that "once this issue gets to be...investigated, you will be seeing certain people that we know from this country standing trial; and they will be prosecuted criminally," revealing the content of the FBI intercepts she heard indicates that recognizable, very high-profile American citizens are linked to the 911 attacks.

Con't-
http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=2005042520431369

[peacetalksforall]

3. C-Span material? n/t

[jen4clark]

4. I think those days are over

Because C-Span is funded by the corporate cable networks, they are basically "told" what they can and can't air. For more information on the demise of C-Span, please see this article:

http://www.citizensforcspan.org/CFC_Case.html

<snip>


C-SPAN and Public Affairs Programming Face Threats

Industry & Technology Changes

C-SPAN’s funding structure means the network has limited ability to press for carriage on cable systems, or to market itself to cable operators. C-SPAN was created by the cable industry and is funded by cable and other distributors such as direct satellite broadcasters. C-SPAN receives no funds from government or from private foundations. The C-SPAN board of directors is comprised of leading cable industry executives. C-SPAN is provided as a public service for the public to enjoy or not.

On the one hand, that makes C-SPAN “arguably the most important gift ever donated by private industry to the cause of democracy in America,” as the Cable Center has noted. For that, C-SPAN viewers so often say, “Thanks for C-SPAN.” It also means that unlike commercial channels that spend millions to market themselves to cable companies, C-SPAN depends on the good will of the cable industry – and the activism of its dedicated viewers – to assure its survival.

<snip>

Citizen Action is Needed!

The only way to ensure continued access to C-SPAN is for the citizens who benefit from C-SPAN to take action. Call your cable to company to request access to all the C-SPAN channels. Contact public officials whose decisions affect the cable industry to ask that carriage of C-SPAN and public affairs programming be taken into consideration in making those decisions. Inform the media of the importance of C-SPAN to your community. And, organize others to join the campaign to preserve and expand access to C-SPAN. By taking action now, you make a positive contribution to public affairs, media, education and democracy in America.


(There is an "act now" link at the end of this article.)

[seemslikeadream]

5. C-SPAN is supposed to show Theologian calls for response to 9/11

WYOU-TV/Channel 4, 7 p.m. Thursday

Theologian calls for response to 9/11

By Samara Kalk Derby
April 19, 2005


Griffin, whose book, "The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions About the Bush Administration and 9/11," came out a year ago, drew an enthusiastic standing ovation from the majority of the 400 or so people who packed his lecture Monday night at Bascom Hall.

A retired Christian theologian, Griffin, 65, taught for more than 30 years at the Claremont School of Theology in California.

His comments Monday night were directed at religious people, who he said need to respond to Sept. 11 - and the American empire that has ensued - based on the moral principles of their religious traditions.

Drawing laughter from the crowd, Griffin said he had in mind principles like: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors' oil" and "Thou shalt not murder thy neighbors in order to steal their oil."


While Griffin noted that his books and talks have not received attention from the mainstream media, C-SPAN had a cameraman at the event and plans to air the lecture at a future date. Madison's public access cable television station, WYOU-TV/Channel 4, meanwhile, will air the talk at 7 p.m. Thursday.
more
http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/index.php?ntid=36617&ntpid=3

or you could see it here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=125x37300

[Al-CIAda]

6. .

[seemslikeadream]

7. Espionage and treason?

Edmonds has reported information about an FBI translator named Jan Dickerson whose husband, U.S. Air Force Major David Dickerson, belonged to a Turkish organization which was an investigative target of the FBI’s own counter-intelligence unit.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0504/S00251.htm

Whistlerblower Coming in Cold From The FBI

MUST READ

...the article mentions a woman named Melek Can Dickerson, a Turkish woman married to a major in the U.S. Air Force. The woman told Edmonds that she couldn't believe America was monitoring people who were their chief "persons of interest" because Dickerson and her husband had done favors for them...shopping...

"Ms. Edmonds has told the Judiciary Committee that soon after, Ms. Dickerson tried to establish social ties with her, suggesting they meet in Alexandria and introduce their husbands to each other.

When Sibel invited the visitors in for tea, she said, Major Dickerson began asking Matthew Edmonds if the couple had many friends from Turkey here in the U.S. Mr. Edmonds said he didn't speak Turkish, so they didn't associate with many Turkish people. The Air Force officer then began talking up a Turkish organization in Washington that he described, according to the Edmondses, as "a great place to make connections and it could be very profitable."

Sibel was sickened. This organization was the very one she and Jan Dickerson were monitoring in a 9/11 investigation. Since Sibel had adhered to the rule that an F.B.I. employee does not discuss bureau matters with one's mate, her husband innocently continued the conversation. Ms. Dickerson and her husband offered to introduce the Edmondses to people connected to the Turkish embassy in Washington who belonged to this organization. ..."My husband keeps thinking he's talking about promoting business deals," Ms. Edmonds later said of the encounter. "He has no idea the man is talking about criminal activities with some semi-legitimate front."

These are classic "pitch activities" to get somebody to spy for you, according to a Judiciary Committee staffer who investigated Ms. Edmonds' claims. ...The targets of that F.B.I. investigation left the country abruptly in 2002. Later, Ms. Edmonds discovered that Ms. Dickerson had managed to get hold of translations meant for Ms. Edmonds, forge her signature, and render the communications useless."

more
http://www.gailsheehy.com/9_11/9_11_art1_21.html

[impeachthescoundrel]

8. I haven't looked yet

but does the group have a website?

[reprehensor]

9. No, but...

It's likely that if one is launched, you will find out about it here...

http://www.justacitizen.com