Obsidian Wings

Everything is a Matter of National Security, Apparently

by Ugh

Reuters reports:

A secretive U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration unit is funneling information from intelligence intercepts, wiretaps, informants and a massive database of telephone records to authorities across the nation to help them launch criminal investigations of Americans.

Although these cases rarely involve national security issues, documents reviewed by Reuters show that law enforcement agents have been directed to conceal how such investigations truly begin - not only from defense lawyers but also sometimes from prosecutors and judges.

Even when my political views differed from what they are now, I would have raged against this kind of concealment/deception or whatever you want to call it.  "Getting the bad guys" apparently trumps all, no matter the definition of bad or getting.

Another problematic thing in the story:

The two senior DEA officials, who spoke on behalf of the agency but only on condition of anonymity, said the process is kept secret to protect sources and investigative methods.

Uh, I've seen the "anonymity granted because they weren't authorized to speak about the issue" excuse for the granting, but this seems to be quite something else.  "We are speaking on behalf of the DEA but you can't tell anyone who we are."  Right.  

It's "just like laundering money" says a former DEA agent in the story, oh good!  He at least spoke on the record with his name attached.  

And this makes me feel so much better:

As a practical matter, law enforcement agents said they usually don't worry that SOD's involvement will be exposed in court. That's because most drug-trafficking defendants plead guilty before trial and therefore never request to see the evidence against them. If cases did go to trial, current and former agents said, charges were sometimes dropped to avoid the risk of exposing SOD involvement.

Unbelievable.  Also, I'm pretty sure that the DEA is more than happy to show the accused the evidence collected against them before trial, even without being asked.  

I also enjoyed reading this article.  It's amazing how many people the U.S. has captured that are, in the words of "a reservist Air Force lawyer" who also happens to be Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), "too dangerous to let go."  And yet these same people couldn't be convicted of the crimes they've (supposedly) committed because the evidence is "classified" or, even better, "weak."  Lex Luthors, all, we have to assume for national security purposes, to be kept in our own version of the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, only with less due process and poorer treatment - but equal escape possibilities, it seems.

Your who's the 12th Friday open thread

by liberal japonicus

With Dr. Science filling the anime/comic book/(insert appropriate label here) slot in our line-up, I guess it is time for a confession. I really have never gotten into Dr. Who. I find this a bit strange, my mom was from England, and I was probably a lot more familiar with British culture than a lot of Americans, and looking back, the opportunity to like something that simultaneously separated me from everyone else, but I could have the assurance that I wasn't actually alone, just separated from people with my sensibilities (which, if you think about it, is the theme to almost every teen drama where the hero/heroine discovers their secret powers) would have seemed to have been too good to pass up, but it never really clicked. Anyway, if there are any Doctor Who fans out there, tell us who will be the 12th.