Ex-Agent Ties Firing to CIA Pressure on WMD

February 10, 2007
Ex-Agent Ties Firing to CIA Pressure on WMD

A federal judge has ruled that a CIA agent identified only as "Doe," allegedly fired after he gathered prewar intelligence showing that Iraq was not developing weapons of mass destruction, can proceed with his lawsuit against the CIA. The judge has ordered both parties to submit discovery requests–evidence they want for their case–to be completed by March 15, according to the CIA agent's lawyer and a spokesman for the Justice Department, which is defending the CIA in court.

U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler issued her ruling after what Doe's attorney, Roy Krieger, described as an extraordinary, secret status conference by telephone this afternoon that lasted nearly a half an hour. So concerned was the CIA about the agent's identity becoming public that the Justice Department prevailed upon the judge to issue a highly restrictive order regarding press contacts by the agent and Krieger. The order barred them from "requesting, allowing, encouraging, or directing" any members of the media from appearing at Krieger's office or even
within a two-block vicinity of the building where he works or of any other location of the status conference, until two hours after the conference was completed.

Rules for terror suspect trials: Hearsay, coerced testimony OK

January 18, 2007
Rules for terror suspect trials: Hearsay, coerced testimony OK

Last September, Congress — then led by Republicans — sent Bush a new law granting wide
latitude in interrogating and detaining captured enemy combatants. The legislation prohibited some
abuses of detainees, including mutilation and rape, but granted the president leeway to decide
which interrogation techniques were permissible.

Passage of the bill, which was backed by the White House, followed more than three months of
debate that included angry complaints by Democrats about the administration's interrogation
policies, and a short-lived rebellion by some Republican senators.