Comments on: Espionage in the Twenty-First Century http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2008/01/espionage_in_the_twenty-first_.html Secrecy News from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:11:08 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: APS http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2008/01/espionage_in_the_twenty-first_.html/comment-page-1#comment-951 APS Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:47:10 +0000 http://fasweb.beacontec.com/blog/secrecy/2008/01/espionage_in_the_twenty-first_.html#comment-951 Good catch. The Administration, (or at least some rogue spooks at the FBI), are clearly intent on denying American citizens their First Amendment Right to Petition the Goverment through NGOs (like Aipac). In addition, they'd obviously like to widen that net to include private citizens who might disseminate such information outside of government circles. I think its high time we ask ourselves, who's next? Whistle blowers, Journalists, other US citizens who are interested in what's going on in their own government. The fact is the Aipac defendants were simply American citizens petitioning their government to consider certain foreign policy positions. Their real "crime" is that these positions upset certain mid-level government bureacrats within the intelligence establishment and State Department; and of course they were anathema to the Arab Gulf States who often employ such bureaucrats after their term of service is over. Good catch. The Administration, (or at least some rogue spooks at the FBI), are clearly intent on denying American citizens their First Amendment Right to Petition the Goverment through NGOs (like Aipac). In addition, they’d obviously like to widen that net to include private citizens who might disseminate such information outside of government circles. I think its high time we ask ourselves, who’s next? Whistle blowers, Journalists, other US citizens who are interested in what’s going on in their own government.

The fact is the Aipac defendants were simply American citizens petitioning their government to consider certain foreign policy positions. Their real “crime” is that these positions upset certain mid-level government bureacrats within the intelligence establishment and State Department; and of course they were anathema to the Arab Gulf States who often employ such bureaucrats after their term of service is over.

]]> By: Grant F. Smith http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2008/01/espionage_in_the_twenty-first_.html/comment-page-1#comment-946 Grant F. Smith Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:54:36 +0000 http://fasweb.beacontec.com/blog/secrecy/2008/01/espionage_in_the_twenty-first_.html#comment-946 David G. Major got it right. The alleged activities of Rosen and Weissman as stated in the superceding indictment, court docket filings and credible press accounts are clearly "espionage-related crimes". 1. Documents were allegedly passed to Israeli officials, who initially fled the country. 2. The alleged targeted effort was to affect US policy toward Iran, to Israel's benefit. The FAS needs to stop treating this as some sort of "freedom of speech" issue, and begin to accept the very inconvenient and painful truths surrounding the case. The open minded can review the book "Foreign Agents: The American Israel Public Affairs Committee from the 1963 Fulbright Hearings to the 2005 Espionage Scandal". David G. Major got it right. The alleged activities of Rosen and Weissman as stated in the superceding indictment, court docket filings and credible press accounts are clearly “espionage-related crimes”.

1. Documents were allegedly passed to Israeli officials, who initially fled the country.
2. The alleged targeted effort was to affect US policy toward Iran, to Israel’s benefit.

The FAS needs to stop treating this as some sort of “freedom of speech” issue, and begin to accept the very inconvenient and painful truths surrounding the case.

The open minded can review the book “Foreign Agents: The American Israel Public Affairs Committee from the 1963 Fulbright Hearings to the 2005 Espionage Scandal”.

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