Posted on 02/01/2007 10:31:30 AM PST by calcowgirl
Long-awaited incident reports regarding the case of two convicted El Paso Border Patrol agents were delivered to Congress on Monday evening but have been classified secret from the general public.
The Homeland Security Subcommittee on Management, Investment and Oversight obtained the report after submitting an emergency Freedom of Information Act request for the documents.
Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, said he will not review the classified documents until they are made available to the public. Poe expects a redacted version will be made available soon.
"I want to read what the public will get to read," Poe said. "The real question regarding this case is, why did the federal government spend so much money to prosecute these Border Patrol agents and give full immunity to a known drug smuggler with more than $1 million of marijuana in his vehicle? I'm anticipating the report, but I don't suspect it will answer the question."
After five months of delays, the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General delivered the documents pertaining to the case of former Border Patrol agents Ignacio "Nacho" Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, who were convicted last March of the nonfatal shooting of a Mexican drug smuggler.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said last week that Homeland Security Inspector General Richard Skinner refused to deliver what he had promised House members since September.
McCaul was one of the first House members to have the classified report but he cannot speak on the contents of it.
"The only people who can view the report are the members of Congress," said Jack Hirschfield, spokesman for McCaul. "Within the next few weeks we will get a redacted report that the public can view."
Reps. John Culberson, Kenny Marchant, McCaul and Poe - all Republicans who represent Texas - said Skinner told them during their meeting last fall that Ramos and Compean had confessed to knowingly shooting at an unarmed suspect and that they "were out to shoot Mexicans."
Ramos and Compean are now serving 11 and 12 years, respectively, in federal prison. The drug smuggler, Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, is suing the U.S. Border Patrol for $5 million.
Minor progress Ping.
I'm not sure what went on with this case but at some point of Ted Poe says they are innocent or guilty I'll go along with what he says. Ted Poe is a stand up guy.
Only in America
Seems kinda silly...Read the damn thing.
I honestly don't understand why any of this information is considered "Secret". The smuggler was a common criminal and the agents are employees of the federal government. Why should the whole, unredacted document not be released?
Did Bin Laddie get his cop of the report? Thought so.
coverup
It's funny that Poe has all these questions, and he begs for a report, and when it comes, he refuses to look at it because he's afraid he might leak classified information, so he decides to wait until DHS can give him a redacted version that will be missing information that might answer his questions.
And while saying he won't read the report that might answer his questions, he complains that he doesn't have the answers to his questions.
But I say, give the man credit for admitting he can't be trusted with classified information, most congresspeople can't but they don't let that stop them.
Well, we are at war, the borders are critical, and we wouldn't want to reveal anything about border security to our enemies.
ping
Redacted? That means they have something to hide.
This report does not make it clear, but I heard on John and Ken (KFI AM radio here in so cal) that the congress men will only see a redacted report as well.
NO ONE IS SEEING THE REPORT UN- REDACTED.
I think that might be why this representative is waiting, he won't learn anything more than us peons will.
What border security?
Incorrect.
If it's already redacted, it wouldn't be classified. If it is redacted but still has some classified information, and he waits for THAT version, it won't be the same version.
If the only reason for it being kept unpublic has nothing to do with classification, the congressman can just read it into the record to declassify it.
On the other hand, if others who are fighting the BP agent case have already SEEN the report, and realise it does nothing to help them, and in fact will embarrass them to keep talking about, they may have told Poe not to look at it, so he could be the new spokesperson for their cause, since if the report DOES come out he can truthfully say it isn't his fault he was so wrong, because he never saw the report.
Follow the pot
It seems hard to fathom just what could be involved that our nations national security could be at risk by revealing the contents of this report. Sounds like an attempted cover-up is in progress here for someone or a group of someones. Now I wonder who the chief someone could be?!
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