Jun. 18, 2003 - 21:19 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Chicken Little ?

As time goes on I am increasingly depressed over the things taking place in our justice system.

Headline in mid-section of our news today, "Court takes Ashhcroft's side on secret arrests." by Eunice Moscoso of Cox News Service.

"In a major legal victory for the Department Of Justice, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the government can continue to withold the names of hundreds of people detained in the "WAR ON TERROR" to protect national security."

"Reversing a lower court decision, the judges said that disclosing the names and other information about the detainees could provide terrorists with a "COMPLETE ROAD MAP" of the government's investigations after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, including which cells have been compromised and which individuals have cooperated with the United States."

"If such a list fell into the hands of al-Qaida, the consequences could be disastrous," U.S. Circuit Judge David B. Sentelle said in a 31 page opinion."

It was a 2-1 split decision.

Of coursed Attorney General John Ashcroft praised the ruling as a victory for the Justice Department's efforts to safeguard sensitive information about terrorism investigations as well as the privacy of individuals involved in this probe. "We are pleased the court agreed we should not give terrorists a virtual ROAD MAP to our investigation that could allow terrorists to chart a potentially deadly detour around our efforts," he said in a statement."

So today and in the recent past ROAD MAP has become the buzzword, concerning the U.S. and the Israel/Palestine question.

The thing that concerns me is the fact that this vast framework of secrecy that has been instituted with the excuse of "terrorism" will allow anyone to be arrested secretly, held secretly, without being charged, without counsel and communication with their families. Now, let me think a bit, Anyone, you me or whoever - secretly -- no lawyer -- no charges -- no records available -- without the arresting force justifying themselves or having to explain a damn thing to anyone -- ever, can magically casue one to disappear from the face of our nation.

I think that we could disappear one by one, most of us who disagree with what is going on.

There are others concerned too, ACLU who has had a black eye because they have stood up for people that other people don't like for one. "Kate Martin, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said the appeal court abandoned its judicial role under the Constitution to protect individual rights. "Its the first time a U.S. court has sanctioned secret arrests," she said. We plan to pursue the case."

In her article she says, "Tuesday's court ruling which also upholds the government's policy of withholding the names of attorneys representing the plaintiffs, stems from a lawsuit filed by the Center For National Security Studies, a civil rights advocacy group, The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and 21 other groups that demanded the detainee information be released under the federal Freedom Of Information Act."

So now Mr. Ashcroft has the backing of another court, giving him once again the right to do what he wants to do - no questions asked, no revelations to be made, everything secret.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING TO US ? ? ? ? Apparently nothing now. But I pray that others and other organizations kill this type of thing which has been sold to the public under the guise of this paranoid Buzz Word campaign which by law can make any us the victims of constant surveillance and being taken away without anyone's knowledge. In my opinion this is a ROAD MAP to perdition it appears to this Chicken Little . . . . . . . . . . .

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