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Attorney General Eric Holder Testifies Before the House Judiciary Committee
US DOJ.gov - Justice.gov/Attorney General - Testimony ^ | May 13, 2010 | n/a

Posted on 05/13/2010 7:08:02 PM PDT by Cindy

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.justice.gov/ag/testimony/2010/ag-testimony-100513.html

Attorney General Eric Holder Testifies Before the House Judiciary Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. ~ Thursday, May 13, 2010

Good morning, Chairman Conyers, Representative Smith, and distinguished members of the Committee. I am pleased to appear before you today to discuss the accomplishments of the Department of Justice in the past year. But, first, let me thank you for your ongoing support of the department’s work and your recognition of its essential role in defending our nation and its highest principles.

Throughout my confirmation process, and since becoming Attorney General last February, I have worked to establish and articulate a clear set of goals for the Department: protecting the American people against both foreign and domestic threats; ensuring the fair and impartial administration of justice; assisting state and local law enforcement; and defending the interests of the United States. I have repeatedly pledged, just as I did when I appeared before this Committee last May, to pursue these goals in service of the cause of justice and in a way that honors the department’s commitment to integrity, transparency and the rule of law.

The thousands of men and women who serve the Justice Department have made meaningful progress in meeting these goals, whether in the pursuit and prosecution of terrorists, in the fight against crime, or in protecting our civil rights, preserving our environment, ensuring fairness in our markets, seeking justice in our Tribal Communities, promoting transparency in our government, and enforcing our tax laws.

Despite the unprecedented challenges and new demands that have emerged, we are on the right path to fulfilling our obligations and achieving our goals. Protecting Americans against terrorism remains the highest priority of the Department of Justice. The Administration will continue to use all lawful means to protect our national security, including, where appropriate, military, intelligence, law enforcement, diplomatic, and economic tools and authorities. We will aggressively defend our nation from attack by terrorist groups, consistent with our Constitution, our laws and our values as well as our international obligations.

As one of the counterterrorism tools available to us, the criminal justice system has proven its strength in both incapacitating terrorists and gathering valuable intelligence – most recently in the case of Faisal Shahzad. Twelve days ago, we believe he attempted to detonate a car bomb in Times Square. Less than 53 hours later, thanks to the outstanding work of the FBI, the department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and our partners at the NYPD and the Department of Homeland Security, Shahzad had been identified, located and arrested. When questioned by federal agents, he provided useful information. We now believe that the Pakistan Taliban was responsible for the attempted attack. We are currently working with the authorities in Pakistan on this investigation, and we will use every resource available to make sure that anyone found responsible, whether they be in the United States or overseas, is held accountable.

This attempted attack is a sober reminder that we face aggressive and determined enemies. For example, since January 2009, 14 individuals have been indicted in Minnesota in connection with travel to Somalia to train or fight with the terrorist group al Shabaab; David Headley was indicted in Chicago and pleaded guilty in connection with a plot to bomb a Danish newspaper and for his involvement in the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai; and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was charged with federal crimes in connection with the attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 near Detroit last Christmas.

In addition, in February 2010, Najibullah Zazi pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York to conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, specifically explosives, against persons or property in the United States, conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country, and providing material support to al-Qaeda. Zazi admitted that he brought explosives to New York as part of plan to attack its subway system. This was one of the most serious terrorist threats to our nation since September 11th, 2001, and, but for the combined efforts of the law enforcement and intelligence communities, it could have been devastating. Several associates of Zazi have also been charged with participating in the plot and related crimes, including Zarein Ahmedzay, who has also pleaded guilty to terrorism charges and faces a sentence of up to life in prison.

The department’s work to combat terrorism includes civil as well as criminal proceedings. For example, the department successfully defended the Treasury Department’s designation and attendant asset freeze of a Saudi Arabia-based charity engaged in the widespread financial support of terrorist groups around the world, including al-Qaeda.

In addition to these efforts to protect our nation from terrorism and other threats, over the last year we have reinvigorated the traditional missions of the department. We have strengthened efforts to protect our environment, combat health care fraud, and enforce our antitrust laws. We have worked to safeguard civil rights in our workplaces and our neighborhoods. We have made strides in ensuring that prisons and jails are secure and rehabilitative, and we have worked to make federal criminal laws more fair and effective. And, as part of our focus on securing our economy and combating mortgage and financial fraud, the department is leading the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force that President Obama established last year, using new legal tools provided by Congress.

Once again, I thank you for your support of the department’s most urgent, and most essential, work. I look forward to continuing to work with this Committee and with the Congress. And, now, I am happy to answer any questions you may have.


TOPICS: History; Reference; Society
KEYWORDS: democrats; ericholder; holder; testimony

1 posted on 05/13/2010 7:08:02 PM PDT by Cindy
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To: Cindy
I am pleased to appear before you today to discuss the accomplishments of the Department of Justice in the past year.

Are you sure this isn't satire?

2 posted on 05/13/2010 7:11:50 PM PDT by bgill (how could a young man born here in Kenya, who is not even a native American, become the POTUS)
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To: Cindy

Please post the BS meter.


3 posted on 05/13/2010 7:12:06 PM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannolis. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: Cindy
Holder....

“We have liberated terrorists from the former despotic regimes torturous Gitmo. We have brought our enemies to justice and afforded them rights reserved to American citizens afforded by our national Constitution. We have empowered minorities and thugs to intimidate voters of opposing opinion to this administration. We have discontinued the imperialistic practice of listening to foreign phone calls to and from the middle east by innocent foreigners in America on work and education visas. And we brought those evil corporate capitalists to justice, who ruined this economy with the help of George W. Bush.

Now what questions may I answer for you?”

4 posted on 05/13/2010 7:18:28 PM PDT by Tenacious 1 (Government For the People - an obviously concealed oxymoron)
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To: Tenacious 1
.....Oh yea....

“... And we have stopped that ridiculous construction of a barrier to prevent those hard working entrepreneurs from south of America realizing their dreams of freedom and prosperity in our nation.”

I forgot about that.

5 posted on 05/13/2010 7:20:25 PM PDT by Tenacious 1 (Government For the People - an obviously concealed oxymoron)
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To: Cindy; bgill
Cross-linking thread:

Eric Holder Refuses to Say 'Radical Islam' Is a Cause of Terrorism Committed by Muslims

6 posted on 05/13/2010 7:22:33 PM PDT by thouworm
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To: Cindy

Oh, puleez! He mentioned transparency, not once, but twice. Then he went on to pat himself on the back for the idiots who either bought the wrong fertilizer or could light their genitals on fire. However, when it came to our own government’s failures, he was silent. No mention of the fact that Shahzad was on the watch list before he was taken off the watch list. No mention of the 14 dead on Ft. Hood. No mention of us paying rent of $23k a month to the bad guys for a census office. No mention of the countless murders, rapes, and other crimes illegals have committed while on US soil. No mention of kissing up to our enemies and insulting our allies. No mention of ...


7 posted on 05/13/2010 7:22:59 PM PDT by bgill (how could a young man born here in Kenya, who is not even a native American, become the POTUS)
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To: Cindy

If it weren’t for a lot of luck, Holder would have a lot of bodies on his watch. Nothing to brag about unless “luck” is all you have going for you.


8 posted on 05/13/2010 7:52:38 PM PDT by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: Cindy

And our outstanding defense was effective in causing this pass to fall incomplete.

9 posted on 05/13/2010 8:09:42 PM PDT by TruthShallSetYouFree
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To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper

I hope that our country stays lucky until we can get some real grown ups running the country again.


10 posted on 05/13/2010 8:15:38 PM PDT by Texas resident (Outlaw fisherman)
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To: Cindy

Calling the AZ SB 1070 racist then admitting he hadn’t read it; Priceless.


11 posted on 05/13/2010 10:18:23 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (Flip Both Houses)
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