05/23/05

May 8 marked the third anniversary of the imprisonment of Jose Padilla. Padilla was apprehended at Chicago's O'Hare Airport in 2002 by Federal officers under the shaky 'material witness' provision and trundled off to prison. In a conspicuous effort to poison public opinion, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced on national TV that Padilla was conspiring to set off a 'dirty bomb' (radioactive device) within the United Sates. To date, the government has never produced any evidence to corroborate their spurious claims. In all probability, Padilla may be entirely blameless. ... Padilla is almost certainly innocent; a random victim of government-demagoguery and public hysteria. Even if the allegations were true, it wouldn't make a bit of difference. The terms of his imprisonment have never been justifiable and he should be released without delay...

http://www.counterpunch.org/whitney05232005.html

from CounterPunch, by Mike Whitney


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp