BUSH LAWYER GAGS INDYMEDIA

You probably won’t have heard about this as the British Press has been virtually silent about it.

On Thursday, October 7, 2004, more than 20 Indymedia websites and other Internet services were taken offline pursuant to a secret government order. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is representing the interests of Indymedia:

"On Friday, October 20, 2004, EFF filed a motion to unseal the Seizure Order in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. In the motion, EFF attorneys argue that "the public and the press have a clear and compelling interest in discovering under what authority the government was able to unilaterally prevent Internet publishers from exercising their First Amendment rights." EFF argues further that secret court orders circumvent due process, undermine confidence in the judicial system, and deny those affected by the order any way to challenge it.”

Now the US State Attorney (ie the lawyer for the US government) has just responded to a Motion to Unseal the server seizure court order in the US.

Sutton’s no random geezer either. Here’s a mini-biog that’s revealing: “Johnny K. Sutton (Western District of Texas) was appointed U.S. Attorney on December 7, 2001. Prior to his appointment, he served as Associate Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice (2001); Criminal Justice Policy Director, Office of Texas Governor George W. Bush (1995-2000); and Assistant District Attorney, Harris County District Attorney's Office (1987-1995). In addition to working with the Department on Southwest Border issues, the District has done many major narcotics trafficking cases and public corruption cases.”

Last year in fact Attorney General John Ashcroft appointed nine new members to serve on his “2003 Attorney General's Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys.” The Attorney General's Advisory Committee provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on law enforcement issues and provides a voice for the United States Attorneys in making Department policy. According to their own blurb: “The Advisory Committee plays a vital role in furthering the Department's law enforcement efforts. Together, in partnership with state, local and federal authorities, the Advisory Committee will be crucial in advancing the Department's efforts to battle terrorism and combat corporate fraud, as well as continue its law enforcement mission in areas such as civil rights, violent crime, environmental crime, and health care fraud.”

Interesting where this dude pops up. He’s actually been central to having the death-penalty brought in for terrorist cases, see here:

http://www.house.gov/judiciary/sutton042104.htm

...which is interesting given that the courts have just ruled that the US military tribunals are illegal:
“Relatives of the four Britons held at Guantanamo Bay have demanded that Tony Blair seeks their release when he meets George Bush tomorrow after a US judge found the military tribunals being used to try the prisoners were illegal”

Read here for more…
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/11/300886.html
http://eff.org/Censorship/Indymedia/ or visit Johnny’s own page here: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/us_attorney_sutton.html
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=581264