ACLU blasts Government over abuse of "terror war" powers....

URL: http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=17301&c=206

Government is Abusing "States Secrets Privilege" to Cover Up National
Security Blunders, ACLU Says
January 12, 2005

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the D.C. Court of Appeals to reinstate the case of former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds, saying that the government is abusing the "state secrets privilege" to silence employees who expose national security blunders.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: media@aclu.org

Brief Filed Today in Appeal by Former FBI Translator Sibel Edmonds

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the D.C. Court of Appeals to reinstate the case of former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds, saying that the government is abusing the "state secrets privilege" to silence employees who expose national security blunders.

"The government should be applauding, not punishing, employees who risk their jobs to expose threats to our nation's security," said ACLU
Associate Legal Director Ann Beeson. "If the lower court ruling stands, many thousands of government employees will be unprotected from retaliatory dismissal, with no recourse in the courts, and others will be even less willing to risk exposing misconduct or corruption."

Edmonds, a former Middle Eastern language specialist hired by the FBI
shortly after 9/11, was fired in 2002 after repeatedly reporting serious security breaches and misconduct in the agency's translation program. She challenged her retaliatory dismissal by filing suit in federal court. Last July, the district court dismissed her case when Attorney General John Ashcroft invoked the so-called state secrets privilege. The ACLU is representing Edmonds in the appeal.

more...