Trial Finds CIA Leaker Jeffrey Sterling Guilty, Govt. Claims 'This Case Is Not About Politics'

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/trial-finds-cia-leaker-jeffrey-sterling-guilty-9-felony-counts-govt-claims-case

When the jury in the CIA leak trial voted "guilty" on all nine felony counts Monday afternoon, it appeared to buy into a notable claim from the government: "This case is not about politics."

The prosecution made that claim a few days ago in closing arguments — begun with a somber quotation from Condoleezza Rice about the crucial need to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. Of course prosecutor Eric Olshan was not foolish enough to quote Rice’s most famous line: “We don’t want the smoking gun to become a mushroom cloud.”

During the seven days of the trial, which received scant media coverage, Rice attracted the most attention. But little of her testimony actually got out of the courtroom, and little of what did get out illuminated the political context of the government’s case against former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling.

A heavy shroud over this trial — almost hidden by news media in plain sight — has been context: the CIA’s collusion with the Bush White House a dozen years ago, using WMD fear and fabrication to stampede the United States into making war on Iraq.

[marmar]

1. K/R

[Octafish]

2. THAT is the crime all these Secrets Trials serve to cover up.

Asshats of the BFEE and Bush lied America into war.

[Rex]

24. Now now, you know how the special crew here gets when you mention the BFEE.

Defending the Bush family...um because...they can? Really, I would LOVE for one of our special crew to explain why they defend the warmongering family from Connecticut...but that never comes up with them does it?

[H2O Man]

3. Recommended.

Thank you for providing this to DUers. It should be -- at very least -- one of the most important discussions right now. More important than, say, deflated footballs.

[JEB]

4. This is important stuff.

Another article worth the quick read at:
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/01/27/guilty-verdict-cia-agent-called-new-low-war-whistleblowers

[msanthrope]

5. Did you read the indictment? What did you find in the indictment that indicates to you

that Mr. Sterling is a whistleblower?

[JEB]

6. More a whistleblower than Dick Cheney

who was never indicted.

[msanthrope]

7. Well...that's a piss poor legal defense, isn't it? nt

[99th_Monkey]

8. You are sounding like you're in lockstep with secret trials to punish whistleblowers. nt

[elias49]

10. Ah, ole 'ms' is a lawyer. Everything is black and white. nt

[msanthrope]

16. "Ole ms?" My, my elias.....given your record of hides for

sexist language over the last few months, is that really what you want to write to me?

To the jury.....a simple search in the box above provided by admin of the username, "rape," and "hidden," will reveal precisely what I am referring to.

[msanthrope]

14. What was secret about this trial? The entire case filings, including

Last edited Wed Jan 28, 2015, 04:05 AM - Edit history (1)

the Risen matter are available online. The trial? Open to the public.

Kindly quote the act, listed in Sterling's indictment, that makes him a whistleblower.

[99th_Monkey]

43. It was as secret as the Guvmint could make it

Last edited Wed Jan 28, 2015, 06:23 PM - Edit history (1)

and the M$M fully cooperated & colluded w/ a blind eye.
Ok, it wasn't as restrictive as Mannings Trial was, but still,
who knew? Why do you think Norm Solomon called Sterling
"The Invisible Man"?

As for searching Sterling's indictment to 'prove' he's a whistle blower, I
won't be wasting my time that way. The US Guvmint did EVERY thing
it could to frame Sterling as 'disgruntled' and "disloyal" to the US,
which is the thanks he got for "going through channels to the Senate
Intelligence Committee in 2003 to inform staffers about the CIA's ill-conceived,
poorly executed and dangerous Operation Merlin, which had given a flawed
design for a nuclear weapons component to Iran back in 2000."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/norman-solomon/the-invisible-man-jeffrey_b_6556552.html

[JEB]

11. Yeah, matches your sense of fairness.

[msanthrope]

15. If you are run over by a truck tomorrow, should we not prosecute

or investigate because Cheney walks free? The justice system tends toward multitasking.

[JEB]

42. The system tends to let the rich and powerful

and those that do their bidding skate free. Looking out for the common good of the common people, better watch your step.

[JonLP24]

17. Why would you look to the indictment?

Wouldn't it be like trying to find out if someone isn't guilty by looking at a police report?

I've read the government's case was largely circumstantial so it probably wouldn't contain hard evidence that he revealed his concerns to James Risen.

[msanthrope]

18. Well...for starters, it would inform you as to what acts he is charged for. I mean....

everyone keeps claiming he is a "whistleblower" without providing evidence of an act of whistleblowing.

Here's my question to you...what act discussed in the indictment was whistleblowing?

When discussing a case, are you seriously suggesting that you would rather read someone's opinion than the primary legal documents?

[JonLP24]

20. If I were

I wouldn't read one entirely one-sided but my knowledge comes from the NY Times article I posted last night and know it revolves around what James Risen reveals in his book describing the Iran operation as "reckless" among other things. So I figure the act would be disclosing classified material to James Risen.

[msanthrope]

22. Okay...disclosing ops, and the identity of an agent in the field is

not "whistleblowing," even if a reporter thinks it might be a reckless op. Those are crimes. There is no special immunity because it was revealed to a reporter.

Remeber when Scooter Libby revealed Plame's identity?

[JonLP24]

25. It depends

If someone revealed this (most secret classification at-the-time) -- I'd consider it Whistle Blowing


If they revealed an assassination on a foreign leader, drug trafficking, murder, etc I'd consider it whistle blowing. Valarie Plame not so much plus he wasn't charged under the Espionage Act and was rewarded with a pardon.

On edit - the print is small, that is Project MKULtra in the image.

[Rex]

26. Not pardoned, commuted by his boss...gee how convenient for him right?

400 hrs of community service and 2 years probation.

Libby is the highest-ranking White House official convicted in a government scandal since John Poindexter, the national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan in the Iran–Contra affair.

On June 5, 2007, the presiding trial judge, Reggie B. Walton, sentenced Libby to 30 months in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and two years of supervised release, including 400 hours of community service, and then ordered Libby to begin his sentence immediately.[18] On July 2, 2007, when Libby's appeal of Walton's order failed, President Bush commuted Libby's 30-month prison sentence, leaving the other parts of his sentence intact.[19][20] In commuting Libby's prison term, Bush stated: "I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby's sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison. ... My decision to commute his prison sentence leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby. The reputation he gained through his years of public service and professional work in the legal community is forever damaged."[19] After Libby paid his monetary fine and penalty totaling $250,400, Judge Walton queried aspects of the presidential commutation,[17][21] and lawyers filed their briefs supporting Libby's serving supervised release, resolving the issue and thus clearing the way for Libby to begin the rest of his sentence, the two years of supervised release and 400 hours of community service.[22][23]

[msanthrope]

27. Well..there's why the jury convicted, rejecting the claims of whistleblowing.

It isn't illegal to stop Iran from getting nukes. Operation Merlin may have been "reckless" (but it worked, apparently) but not illegal.

MKUltra? Not remotely legal.

And I was going to correct you on Libby, but seems Rex beat me to the punch.

[Rex]

28. Well he served 30 days then got commuted.

I remember Novakula (how is that for a name from the past?) on CNN crowing about it to I believe a stunned Mark Shields.

[msanthrope]

29. It was a disgusting display of Cheney's power. Indefensible. nt

[Rex]

31. Cheney really frightened me, put me on edge for 8 years.

Running around from one bunker to another. I swear sometimes I would really worry he would somehow press The Button. Dubya loved himself and his wife far too much to do it - but there was such an unsettling feeling I would get from seeing and hearing Cheney on TV.

The shit Scooter Libby must know about all the dirt on the BFEE...got him out of a jam. Saying he is going to be scorned by society is funny considering it was Dubya saying it and you know he is in the Club...so a good job waiting after 30 days in prison.

[msanthrope]

36. At some point it will be revealed just what Cheney did to get himself

into a position where he could freely loot the Treasury. And that will be a glorious day.

[Rex]

38. It will be, I hope we are still here and get to discuss the specifics of his exposure.

At least history will remember Cheney as the Darth Vader he is and not the kewl Darth Vader kids like in Lego Star Wars. The evil as shit kind that murdered kids when he was young.

Not saying Cheney murdered kids when he was young, but I'm not saying he didn't either. Just saying nothing will surprise me about him or the vast vault of horrors awaiting.

I hope people watched him justify torture on TVEE and put two and two together.

[JonLP24]

30. I don't think that is where the line is drawn

I'm not even sure if that was his defense or if he was guilty if the case was largely circumstantial but whether the information contained illegal actions hasn't stopped using the Espionage Act such as 4th amendment violations with the NSA or the crimes Chelsea Manning revealed.

As far as me, whistle blowing doesn't necessarily have to be something illegal. It could be something legal but incompetent or anything that would merit concern. If someone released something like MKUltra today you better believe they would be charged under the Espionage Act.

[Rex]

33. I would hope so, but do you see anyone being held responsible for the act of torture committed by

the CIA? Or what about the CIA spying on Congress? Why is that not being worked on as a serious breach of protocol? As of now, I am not convinced anyone would be brought up on charges. Not when the CIA is involved, things seem to just go by the wayside. Ever notice that?

I am uneasy by the lack of haste toward punishing those that are primarily responsible. The DoJ has gone after Wall Street, so it is not like they cannot tackle big groups. I guess the CIA is all handled internally, so if you blow the whistle...you went outside the unwritten rule of finding someone inside that could do something.

Totally fucked up, but nobody said life was fair or ever would be.

[msanthrope]

34. Not according to statute, but this was a jury trial that relied, in part

on the whistleblower defense.

As for someone being charged under the Espionage Act, I think the SCOTUS decision this week reinforces the fact that government employees who whistleblow under the relevant statutes will be protected. Neither Comrade Eddie or Manning availed themselves of the law, so they don't get its protections.

[Rex]

37. Oh come on now! You won't give any leniency to a guy that fled to Putinskia

and said Russia is the land where there is freedom of the press and everyone is free to express themselves?

Yeah I agree...really hard to do. Impossible for any thinking person imo.

I don't know about Manning, looks like she was taken advantage of due to inexperience and age. Certainly did not flee from her accusers.

[msanthrope]

39. I'm still not convinced Snowden isn't still a pawn in an NSA/CIA turf war...he's stupid

enough not to know he's a patsy. He's in prison, right now.

As for Chelsea Manning...she was a victim of Julian Assange.

[Rex]

40. Yeah he is in prison, so true. I would LOVE to see him fly to Brazil.

And why not? Russia is the Land of the Free...so they will have no problems. I don't think Brazil and Russia have any problems and America is not going to stop a flight and start a war...so...

And before anyone says extradited, Russia can back him and give him citizenship any time their dictator wants to. It boils down to saying you are a kewl kid while standing behind a dictator imo. No, you are not a kewl kid, you are a stupid kid and you are probably exactly right it is some kind of internal power struggle. Including the MIC and the spy world. You think he will shit when he finds out he is on a SVR burn list? You think he will even know?

Why anyone would think they are going to get absolute trust in the spy world, is beyond me. It is the spy vs spy world, lies are more important than the truth.

Crazy shit.

[msanthrope]

41. Snowden can go anywhere that will agree to take him. Russia

can issue travel documents...he does not need an American passport to travel.

Given Russian history, Snowden will be returning to the US when Putin is done with him....or when he's deposed. Given the utter ruination that Mr. Putin has managed with the economy, I suspect Eddie may find himself offered as a sop in return for certain monetary considerations.

This President has a frightening ability to wait in the tall weeds. As a Sicilian....I respect that.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. Torturers and torture aren't about politics. When are indictments and trials?

[msanthrope]

19. This case has nothing to do with torture. It's about a fired CIA

officer who leaked secrets about nuclear interdiction ops in Iran.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

21. The CIA has a lot to do with torture. Where are those indictments?

Rather than an indictment and trial of a whistle blower?

[msanthrope]

23. It isn't whistleblowing when you try to shake down the CIA for a settlement,

get frustrated, try to publish a book and then leak information about nuclear interdiction efforts.

Remember...we really, really do not want Iran to have certain nuclear capabilities. Really.

[JonLP24]

32. From what I've read

They didn't have much proof as far as the leak so they went with a theory which is the theory you're argument.

Though I wouldn't call it a "shakedown" he couldn't move forward with the lawsuit because the judge ruled it would require classified information to prove his discrimination.

[msanthrope]

35. They had proof beyond a reasonable doubt. There's a mistake you've made in considering

the evidence against Mr. Sterling......that circumstantial evidence does not give rise to a sound jury verdict. Enough of it, it certainly does.

Also.....Sterling didnt call Risen to the stand. That spoke volumes.

[elias49]

12. Kick

[riderinthestorm]

13. Kick!! Too important a story to drop. Nt