WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Obama administration has informed a federal judge it will continue to invoke the “state secrets” privilege in a legal battle with an Islamic charity suspected of funding terrorism.
The United States has designated the Oregon-based al-Haramain Islamic Foundation as a terrorist organization. The group, which has sued the government over alleged warrantless wiretapping, is demanding classified information about the program.
U.S. officials have refused to tell the charity’s lawyers whether the group was subjected to presidentially authorized, warrantless, foreign intelligence surveillance in 2004 and, if so, what information was obtained.
In a court document filed overnight in San Francisco and released early Saturday in Washington, the Justice Department said its case-by-case review of the government’s use of the state secrets defense has not changed its position in the al-Haramain case.
The defense allows courts to block lawsuits against the government on grounds that the litigation could harm national security.
“An additional review was conducted at the highest levels of the Department of Justice to determine whether continued invocation of the privilege was warranted,” the government told the court.
“Based on that review, it is the government’s position that disclosure of classified information ... would create intolerable risks to national security.”
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/30/court.state.secrets/index.html
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The United States has designated the Oregon-based al-Haramain Islamic Foundation as a terrorist organization. The group, which has sued the government over alleged warrantless wiretapping, is demanding classified information about the program.
U.S. officials have refused to tell the charity’s lawyers whether the group was subjected to presidentially authorized, warrantless, foreign intelligence surveillance in 2004 and, if so, what information was obtained.
In a court document filed overnight in San Francisco and released early Saturday in Washington, the Justice Department said its case-by-case review of the government’s use of the state secrets defense has not changed its position in the al-Haramain case.
The defense allows courts to block lawsuits against the government on grounds that the litigation could harm national security.
“An additional review was conducted at the highest levels of the Department of Justice to determine whether continued invocation of the privilege was warranted,” the government told the court.
“Based on that review, it is the government’s position that disclosure of classified information ... would create intolerable risks to national security.”
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/30/court.state.secrets/index.html
LOL
The rumble of exploding moonbat heads is increasing to a roar.