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Ear to the Ground

Victory For Wen Ho Lee

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Posted on Jun 2, 2006
Wen Ho Lee
AP

Wen Ho Lee smiles after giving a brief statement to the press upon his release outside the United States Courthouse in Albuquerque, N.M., on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000. Lee plead guilty to one of 59 charges against him for downloading top secret nuclear weapons information while working as a scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The five media heavies who shamelessly promoted the government’s lies about the Los Alamos scientist chose to settle today rather than reveal their government sources.

Lee was savaged by a media fueled by government rumors that he was spying for China, an accusation he was never officially charged with. Lee was imprisoned in solitary confinement for nine months in 1999-2000 and ultimately received an apology from the judge who heard his case. Truthdig says: The media was not defending freedom of the press but their own right to operate as a megaphone for government agents with an agenda to slander an American citizen. The media went to bat for government agents who broke the law.  When will those agents be held accountable?

Washington Post:
Wen Ho Lee Settles Privacy Lawsuit

By William Branigin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 2, 2006; 6:42 PM

Wen Ho Lee, a former nuclear weapons scientist who came under government suspicion of being a spy for China, settled a lawsuit today over violation of his privacy rights and will receive $1.65 million from the government and five news organizations, including The Washington Post.
link

ROBERT SCHEER ON WEN HO LEE

  • Full background of the case: No Defense: How the ‘New York Times’ Convicted Wen Ho Lee—October 23, 2000

  • Secrets, Lies and Media Privilege—December 23, 2003

  • Wen Ho Lee —February 12, 2001

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    By M Henri Day, June 4, 2006 at 9:30 am #
    (Unregistered commenter)

    The scapegoating and demonisation of Chinese has a long and dishonourable history in the United States, dating back to California Gold Rush days. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, for example, was made «permanent» in 1902, and only rescinded in 1943, when China and the US both found themselves at war with Japan. Racism is a club easily wielded in the US, and naturally enough, the country’s media play a primary role in doing so….

    Report this

    By Druthers, June 3, 2006 at 2:18 am #
    (Unregistered commenter)

    The persecution of Mr. Lee illustrates the underlying fact that as each day passes the Truth is disappearing from public discourse.
    That the NYT can still be referred to as a reference is all the more surprising since this is just one in a series of such flagrant incidents.
    Real legitimacy is the trust accorded, be it to a gouvernment, the peoples representives, the courts, or the press.  When that is gone it brings with it the collapse of the system it upholds.

    Report this

    By jon budd, June 2, 2006 at 11:45 pm #
    (Unregistered commenter)

    “Truthdig says: The media was not defending freedom of the press but their own right to operate as a megaphone for government agents with an agenda to slander an American citizen. The media went up to bat for government agents who broke the law.  When will those agents be held accountable?”

    This is truly the “news that fit to print”.

    Report this

    By C Quil, June 2, 2006 at 10:31 pm #
    (Unregistered commenter)

    http://www.swans.com/library/art9/mgarci01.html

    Manuel Garcia Jr., as a fellow scientist, championed Wen Ho Lee’s cause.

    Victory and vindication for both of them.

    Report this

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