Posted by pancho (64.165.200.29) on February 10, 2002 at 18:21:36:
An intersting corner has been turned in this fight to save us from the Terrorists we helped create. It seems an American reporter intervied the fellow, Lind I think is his name, as he lay in a hospital bed...at one point even being given morphine during the interview. The FBI and others are using the reporter's story as the "evidence" they need that Lind committed the crimes they are charging him with. The Media has been enlisted to prosecute the War effort.
This sets an awful precedent and the reporter is understandably concerned. The reporter used his own words to flesh out what Lind said, often he knew the people and organizations Lind had just come in contact with better. In other words the FBI is relying on a reproter's integrity and skills to base their criminal case upon. They don't have Lind's actual words...only the reporter's interpretation of what he heard...yet they are charging Lind with the crimes as if he confessed.
If a reporter some day doesn't like you, or your group, or your place of origin, or if he is a slipshod reporter who fabricates and weaves his own story from what little you tell him...or he is a CIA operative, as many reproters are on the side...then you could find yourself charged with crimes based on someone ELSE'S testimony about what they thought you meant to say. And since this is all new stuff...the proceedings could be held in a military tribunal whithout any public scrutiny.
I understand of course that we are all as afraid as we are supposed to be and in this fear that knows no name nor bounds, are willing to do anything and everything to feel SAFE. But we may just be starting down that road that leads to making ourselves the final and ultimate victims...and willingly too...of a policy that never should have been allowed to stand in the first place.
It will be like this, as so often in the past, that people will gradually trade their own legal rights away, sold for a moment's false sense of security. The German people elected Hitler, he never seized power. They did it because they had been driven to distraction and because Hitler had the Reichstag burned down to frighten the populace that them Commies would soon take over etc. It will be that way here too. We will at first welcome the forces of repression that will seek to strangle us. For us darkies especially will come a rude awakening one day when we realize that we aren't as "white" as we were led to believe...back when our vote or our aquiesence was needed.