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| For Immediate Release | |
| Oct 19, 2001 | Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
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(Washington, D.C.) Judicial Watch, the public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes government abuse, today called on the Bush Administration to “call a spade a spade” and start officially informing the American people about the need to take strong action against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, the Palestine Liberation Organization run by Yasser Arafat, and other terrorist organizations and states, such as Syria, Libya, and the Sudan. In recent weeks, as evidence has mounted that the ringleader of the terrorist hijackers who attacked the World Trade Center met at least twice with Iraqi intelligence agents, and that the type of anthrax being mailed to U.S. citizens is of the sophisticated variety, which only a nation state could manufacture (coupled with the contents of the accompanying letters which threatened death to Americans and Jews, all “in the name of Allah”), the Bush Administration has been pretending that Iraq, along with Osama Bin Laden, are not necessarily the prime suspects. In so doing, as several major American and international press organizations reasoned today, the Bush Administration avoids having to take immediate action against Iraq during a period when Secretary of State Colin Powell attempts to fashion an Arab “coalition.” In addition, the Bush Administration had failed to freeze the assets of 16 known non-profit foundations with links to terrorism – particularly to Bin Laden and associated Arafat/Palestinian dominated groups of Hamas and Hezbollah - in an effort, again led by Secretary Powell, to bring Arafat and other Middle East leaders into the coalition. However, as Secretary Powell and the Bush Administration naively look the other way, Arafat and his crowd continue to conduct acts of terrorism, such as the assassination of Israeli leaders. Judicial Watch filed a complaint to have the Internal Revenue Service shut down these known terrorist front non-profit organizations with links to Bin Laden and the PLO here in America, but the Bush Administration has thus far failed to act, leaving a giant loophole in our war against terrorism. “Our government, for too long, has turned the other cheek and pretended that Saddam Hussein and Yasser Arafat, and their accomplices, were not the principal problems. Perhaps this is due to Middle Eastern politics and other murky interests. But the time has now come to face reality and to be open and direct with the American people. Terrorism cannot be fought with compromised political measures. Criminals, such as Hussein and Arafat, should not escape accountability as Secretary Powell builds his coalition of ‘newly reformed’ Arab terrorist states who are prepared to deceive and “pick our pockets” yet again. The policies of Neville Chamberlain did not work with Hitler, and they will not work with Hussein and Arafat. Full disclosure is part of government honesty and accountability, and the lack of it parcel to government abuse. Judicial Watch will continue to pry out the facts, so the American people can demand appropriate action. To those who say loyalty to the war against terrorism demands not asking tough questions and being constructively critical when necessary, my response is where was the government for the last 10 years, as Bin Laden’s “cancer cells” grew to malignant levels inside of the United States. Our leaders, and the Justice Department’s Immigration and Naturalization Service, and other government agencies knew or should have known that this was occurring, but failed to protect the populace, since bad news is not good for election and reelection. Now, nearly 7000 Americans are dead and we face a bio-terrorism crisis of huge proportions, for which we are not adequately prepared,” stated Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman. |
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