Lawyers for Guantánamo Detainees Allowed to See Leaked Files ("Still Surreal")

[Hissyspit]

Source: New York Times

Lawyers for Guantánamo Detainees Allowed to See Leaked Files
By CHARLIE SAVAGE
Published: June 10, 2011

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has eased restrictions preventing lawyers representing prisoners at the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, from reading the classified files about their clients that were leaked to WikiLeaks and then made widely available on the Internet.

- snip -

But they are still not allowed to download, save or print the documents because they might contain restricted information.

“While you may access such material from your non-U.S.-government-issued personal and work computers, you are not permitted to download, save, print, disseminate, or otherwise reproduce, maintain, or transport potentially classified information,” the directive said.

- snip -

David Remes, a lawyer who pressed the government to lift the restrictions on the files, said the limitations were “still surreal.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/11/us/politics/11wiki.html?_r=1

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[cstanleytech]

2. If its no more or less than what was leaked whoever

made the ruling is imo an imbecile to limit them so much that they cant print or save the data.

[Poll_Blind]

3. Of all the shit that I wish the Obama Administration didn't do, it's shit like this.

The tone and the reasoning behind this quote, right here:
“While you may access such material from your non-U.S.-government-issued personal and work computers, you are not permitted to download, save, print, disseminate, or otherwise reproduce, maintain, or transport potentially classified information,”

This is straight-up Bush administration secrecy and the reason why Mr. Remes calls it "surreal" is because it stems from an unrealistic viewpoint that if the government pretends leaked but classified material is still a secret (even though it's been disseminated publicly) it is.

Another example of the same viewpoint: Some of you will remember that after one or the other WikiLeaks releases, the US Govt. threatened the families of service members who accessed WikiLeaks' released information.

And if the government wants to pretend that the Pentagon Papers that you're reading online is still secret they can use that as basis to make an assertion to slip your name into the giant snooping apparatus your tax dollers pay for.

PB

[intaglio]

4. Good catch, typical bureaucratic secrecy

Example, from 70's UK, in theory it was illegal for staff of the British Museum to say where it was because it was a Government building.

I can see the same bureaucratic mindset at work here;
Jobsworth - These files are secret.
Human - But they are on the internet, everyone can read them!
Jobsworth - That doesn't matter.
Human - But would it be OK if I downloaded them and printed them from the internet?
Jobsworth - Then you would be guilty of accessing secret information.
Human - But anyone can see them, I could download them to your laptop.
Jobsworth - No, you cannot download them they're classified. I could download them because I have clearance.
Human - I do have permission to see these files ...
Jobsworth - ... but not to copy them. They are still classified, it would be more than my job's worth to let you copy them.

[lsewpershad]

5. Surreal indeed.

What are they so afraid?