Action alert- Sibel Edmonds and the neocons

Sibel Edmonds needs your help. 30 Groups calling for new hearings
by
lukery <http://lukery.dailykos.com/> Wed Mar 07, 2007 at 02:39:13 PM
PST

30 liberal, libertarian and conservative groups are calling on Henry
Waxman's House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to hold
hearings
on the case of gagged FBI Whistleblower Sibel Edmonds.

The issues reported by Ms. Edmonds include:

- Espionage activities within the FBI, DOD, and the Department of
State.
- Cover-up of information and leads pre and post 9/11, under the
excuse of protecting certain diplomatic relations.
- Deliberate mistranslation of crucial intelligence by FBI
translators
and management.
- Foreign entities bribing government officials and elected
representatives.

Details, and action items, downstairs. (We're asking you to contact
Conyers
and Waxman and demand hearings)

Statement <http://nswbc.org/Press%20Releases/sibelalert_2-7-07.htm>:

Transpartisan Coalition Calls for Whistleblower Hearings

Petition with strong left-right support headed to Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON, DC - The Liberty Coalition, a transpartisan public policy
group
dedicated to preserving the Bill of Rights, personal autonomy and
individual
privacy today sent a petition signed by 30 liberal, libertarian and
conservative groups including the American Civil Liberties Union,
Citizen
Outreach, OMB Watch, Electronic Privacy Information Center, Government
Accountability Project, Electronic Freedom Foundation, and the
National
Coalition Against the Censorship to the House Committee on Oversight
and
Government Reform urging prompt hearings on the case of Federal
Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) Whistleblower Sibel Edmonds.

Edmonds, a former FBI Language Specialist, brought charges of
wrongdoing,
criminal activity, cover-ups and national security threats inside the
agency
following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Edmonds was promptly fired,
which
she asserts was an act of retaliation. The Department of Justice
(DOJ) then
used the State Secrets Privilege to shut down court proceedings in
her case
and prevent Congress from exploring the matter. Civil Liberties
advocates
argue that Edmonds's case in an example of other instances where
whistleblowers who tried to inform Congress and taxpayers about
national
security threats were intimidated silenced and retaliated against.

"Mrs. Edmonds is not a national security threat but a national hero
and the
American public deserves to hear the truth of her case. Congress
must act
and act now by having public hearings. Without them, the cover-ups
and
criminal activities will just continue." Said Michael Ostrolenk,
National
Director of the Liberty Coalition.

Mr Ostrolenk was supported in his contentions by Liberty Coalition
partner
Stephen Kohn, President of the National Whistleblower Center who said
"Congress must hear from Mrs. Edmonds and others who corroborated her
case -
we cannot wait until after another attack to learn about threats to
our
security."

This popular position is echoed by Danielle Brian, Executive Director
of the
Project On Government Oversight, a watchdog group that signed the
appeal
brief in Mrs. Edmonds case who said "The issues surrounding the
Edmonds case
are so significant that Congress must hold hearings to investigate the
government's actions."

The issues reported by Ms. Edmonds include:

· Espionage activities within the FBI, DOD, and the Department
of
State.

· Cover-up of information and leads pre and post 9/11, under
the
excuse of protecting certain diplomatic relations.

· Deliberate mistranslation of crucial intelligence by FBI
translators and management.

· Foreign entities bribing government officials and elected
representatives.

Civil Liberty advocates assert that these issues point to an abuse of
power,
a criminal conspiracy and attempts to cover -up wrong doing by using
the
coercive power of the state.

In regards to abuse of power, Ann Beeson, Associate Legal Director,
ACLU
National Office, and Lead Counsel in Mrs. Edmonds case said. "The
government
abused the state secrets privilege to deny Sibel Edmonds her day in
court,
and to prevent accountability in other cases for illegal spying and
rendition. It is high time for Congress to intervene."

Dr. William Weaver, Senior advisor and Board Member of the National
Security
Whistleblower's Coalition, who is an expert on the state secret
privilege
agreed with Mrs. Beeson when he said, "In Edmonds' case tyranny comes
in the
form of the state secrets privilege, a foolproof mechanism of the
federal
government to hide executive branch corruption, incompetence, and
illegal
activity. This is a practice more at home with Czars and nabobs, and
should
have no place in the United States."

Ostrolenk continued by saying "This is worse than Watergate in that
American
lives have been lost and our national security has been compromised.
Mrs.
Edmonds case has been vindicated by the Justice Department office of
Inspector General, and several congressional offices. The public has
a right
to know. The excuse of protecting national security is fallacious.
They are
protecting their own power and not the American people. Mrs. Edmonds
must
be heard."

Please call Congressmen Henry Waxman and John Conyers between now and
next
Wednesday and beg, implore and demand them to hold hearings into
Sibel's
case and the State Secrets Privilege.

I'll be maintaining a new blog Let Sibel Edmonds
Speak<http://letsibeledmondsspeak.blogspot.com/>for the duration of
the campaign - we'll have new articles about the case,
and a place where you can let us know that you called the offices,
and what
sort of response you got etc.

Please call Congressmen Conyers <http://www.house.gov/conyers/> and
Waxman<http://www.henrywaxman.house.gov/contact.htm>and demand
hearings.

*Waxman <http://www.henrywaxman.house.gov/contact.htm>*:
2204 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-3976 (phone)
(202) 225-4099 (fax)

*Conyers <http://www.house.gov/conyers/>*:
2426 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5126
(202) 225-0072 Fax
John.Conyers@...