Judicial Watch is an interesting organization. Somewhat conservative in the true sense of the word, they don't want to totally destroy the Constitution. Rather they feel, as true conservatives do, that change must come slowly and deliberately, with much discourse and consideration.
They have sided with the Left before, for example, here:
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today in oral argument in its lawsuit against Vice President Cheney and the National Energy Policy Development Group (“Energy Task Force”) urged a U.S. Court of Appeals to reject the Bush administration’s argument that it is not subject to the federal “open meetings” law.
Still, they do have some ideological issues that are pretty right-wing friendly. See here re: Schiavo, and here re: Arizona Minutemen project.
But in this explosive new issue they have exactly the right idea. This goes right to the heart of Michael Moore's (and others) oft ridiculed claims that some mighty strange and improper flights took place right after 9/11:
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that fights government corruption, announced today that it has obtained documents through the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) in which the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) has invoked privacy right protections on behalf of al Qaeda terror leader Osama bin Laden. In a September 24, 2003 declassified “Secret” FBI report obtained by Judicial Watch, the FBI invoked Exemption 6 under FOIA law on behalf of bin Laden, which permits the government to withhold all information about U.S. persons in “personnel and medical files and similar files” when the disclosure of such information “would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.” (5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(6) (2000))
The redacted documents were obtained by Judicial Watch under the provisions of the FOIA and through ongoing litigation (Judicial Watch v. Department of Homeland Security & Federal Bureau of Investigation, No. 04-1643 (RWR)). Among the documents was a declassified “Secret” FBI report, dated September 24, 2003, entitled: “Response to October 2003 Vanity Fair Article (Re: [Redacted] Family Departures After 9/11/2001).” Judicial Watch filed its original FOIA request on October 7, 2003. The full text of the report and related documents are available on the Internet by clicking here (Adobe Acrobat Reader required).
The additional point here is that Osama bin Ladens' privacy is more important than the American People. Of course that isn't the real point, kids. It's that someone else's privacy is more important than the American People.
Someone who is in a position of power to order the FBI to block access to records.
Someone who is in a position to order flights to take off while the nation's air fleet is grounded.
Someone who knew before 9/11 that the bin Laden family (A) was important, and (B) had members in the US. Did you know? Me either.
I wonder who?
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