Dec 3rd, 2008
Posted by Ateqah Khaki, National Security Project at 3:06pm	National Security

Freedom of Expression in the Post-Bush Era

This month’s issue of Index on Censorship, a British magazine that promotes freedom of expression, considers the future of free expression in the U.S. after the Presidency of George W. Bush. The issue entitled “Mission Accomplished? The Bush Legacy” features several articles from leading activists, writers and journalists that examine the culture of secrecy, surveillance and executive authority associated with the Bush administration.

While the ACLU has obtained thousands of pages through the FOIA, some CIA documents have been heavily redacted

Steven Aftergood, director of the Federation of American Scientists Project on Government Secrecy and author of Secrecy News writes about the many steps that will need to be taken in the months and years to come to tackle the unprecedented growth in secrecy under Bush in his article “If In Doubt, Classify” (PDF).

Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Chatter: Dispatched from the Secret World of Global Eavesdropping and frequent contributor to The New Yorker and Slate considers the lack of oversight of the Bush administration’s wiretapping program in his article “Legislating in the Dark” (PDF).

And the Director of the ACLU’s National Security Project, Jameel Jaffer, writes about the many remaining secrets of the Bush administration, particularly in regard to detention and interrogation policies, in his article “Unfinished Business” (PDF). Jaffer discusses the ACLU’s ongoing Freedom of Information Act litigation that seeks to unearth documents about the abuse and torture of prisoners. He writes:

The information that has been released thus far is incomplete, but it paints a grim picture. We know that the administration’s lawyers invented a new legal framework…meant to permit barbaric interrogation practices and to insulate interrogators and officials from prosecution for war crimes. We know that, in reliance on this new legal framework, interrogators subjected prisoners to abuse and even torture…[A]buse of prisoners was systemic, not limited to Abu Ghraib… [H]undreds of prisoners have died in the custody of US military and … many other have disappeared into the CIA’s secret detention system…

The FOIA has proved to be an essential tool, but over the last eight years we have learned that it is not sufficient in itself to ensure the kind of transparency — let alone the kind of accountability — that democracy requires. An administration committed to obfuscation can, with the silence or support of the political branches, thwart the public’s access to even the most fundamental information. President elect Obama has promised to run ‘the most transparent government’ in American history. Come January, he could begin to make good on that promise by ordering executive agencies to release the torture files that are still secret.”

You can read these articles and several others online.

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Tags: national security project

1. Justina Coleman Says:
   Dec 10th, 2008 at 4:08pm

   Justina Coleman
   8230 S Hermitage Ave 1
   Chicago IL 60620
   Jc66202@gmail.com
   312-513-3248
   773-434-0745

   Violation of Civil, Human and Privacy rights by my Ex-Employer Carl A Pellettieri,
   Ronald A Hennings, Sandy Schade and MeriMed Revenue Group
   991 Oak Creek Dr
   Lombard IL 60148-6408
   630-424-4000

   The state of Illinois prohibit employers from gathering and maintaining information regarding an employee’s off-premises political, religious and other non-businesses activities without the employee’s written consent.
   US post office 8345 S Ashland Ave who opened mail, threw away mail or forwarded.

   I mailed documents to your office December 4 2008 since contacting you my email and mail has been compromised. They are becoming more aggressive.
   My life is in jeopardy, they are afraid of my revealing what has been happening for the last 7 years.

   I am attending the Southwest One-Stop Career Center located at 7500 S Pulaski.
   Building 100 Chicago IL 60652.

   Someone needs to interview counselors at the center.

   Wiretapping
   Stalking
   Attempted murder
   Tapping with the US mail
   Attorney acquiring personal information without my written consent
   Bribing Judges, Attorneys, polices, and city clerks.

   Violation of Civil, Human and Privacy rights by my Ex-Employer Carl A Pellettieri,
   Ronald A Hennings, Sandy Schade and MeriMed Revenue Group
   991 Oak Creek Dr
   Lombard IL 60148-6408
   630-424-4000

   The state of Illinois prohibit employers from gathering and maintaining information regarding an employee’s off-premises political, religious and other non-businesses activities without the employee’s written consent. My ex-employer Carl A Pellettieri, Ronald A Henning, have broken this law for the last 7 years. They have paid security agencies, and their client’s employees to stalk me outside of work 7 days a week from 2001 and have continued even thought I no longer work for the company to the present. They have slandered my name, committed defamation of character and other unspeakable actions violating my civil, human and privacy rights.
   I would like to know the explanation they are giving people to break the law are they bribing people, what is the lie they are telling that I am not allowed to defend myself against. I now believe that my life is in jeopardy, I believe now they are ready to commit murder to stop me from talking.
   Illinois Dept of Employment Security 837 W 119th st Harold Thompson 189
   Citibank in Lombard and Chicago who gave ex-employers my account information
   Malcolm X College Margie Jackson
   Chicago Police Dept told to harass me for no reason
   US post office 8345 S Ashland Ave who opened mail, threw away mail or forwarded
   Cook County hospital that illegally sold medical and test information to ex-employers
   Chicago Kent College of Law
   Josh Friedman Attorney at Law
   Legal Assistance Foundation Timothy Hauszer
   Caffarelli & Siegel Jessica Fayerman who made copies of documents
   Comcast Cable communication
   Chicago Dept of Revenue Arnold Scott Harris P C Ticket Fraud
   Chicago Workforce Center Southwest and Mid-South

2. Justina Coleman Says:
   Dec 10th, 2008 at 4:10pm

   help me

3. Anonymous Says:
   Feb 19th, 2009 at 7:06pm

   Someone from this number 630-xxx-xxxx called me and did not leave a message. After reading this I am pretty scared! I am no way affiliated with the above person. What the heck is going on in this country?

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