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Portland, Ore., Police Refuse to Cooperate With Federal Questioning
Fox News | 11/21/01

Posted on 11/21/2001 7:03:42 AM PST by Psalm 73

PORTLAND, Ore. — Homeland defense may have a serious kink in its West Coast armor.

Portland police refuse to cooperate with the U.S. Justice Department's request for help interviewing men who entered the U.S. since Jan. 1, 2000 from countries that have been linked to the Sept. 11 hijackers or were waystations for the Al Qaeda terror network.

Portland's police department claims this part of the Justice Department's sweeping terrorism investigation would violate state law, making Portland the first city to refuse to cooperate with the anti-terrorism effort.

The Justice Department had distributed a list of 5,000 men ages 18 to 33 it wanted to interview about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced earlier this month.

Acting Police Chief Andrew Kirkland said Tuesday the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Portland asked for city police cooperation last week. He said police denied the request, citing an Oregon law that says no one can be questioned by police unless they are suspected of being involved in a crime.

"The law says, generally, we can interview people that we may suspect have committed a crime," Kirkland said. "But the law does not allow us to go out and arbitrarily interview people whose only offense is immigration or citizenship, and it doesn't give them authority to arbitrarily gather information on them."

Portland FBI spokeswoman Beth Anne Steele said Tuesday she couldn't comment on the investigation. Justice Department officials were unavailable for comment Tuesday night.

Charles Gorder, an assistant U.S. attorney in Portland, told The New York Times that the interviews would be completed, with or without help from local police

Arabs and Muslims have criticized the Justice Department's plan to interview the men on the list. Civil rights activists say the action constitutes racial profiling. The Justice Department acknowledges the men are likely to be Arab and Muslim, but says the list wasn't based on ethnic origin.

Kirkland, who is black, said profiling is an issue that hits home for him, but that's not why the Justice Department's request was rejected. "I am sympathetic to that issue from a perspective of growing up African American," he said. "That doesn't factor into any decision to do this or not. We made that decision regarding racial profiling long before Sept. 11. That decision was made for us when the Legislature wrote the law."


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To: 74dodgedart
"...round them up and put them in iternment camps..."

No, you don't say. Tell me more Mr. History lesson, because I'm an idiot.
We are not talking about internment, we are INTERVIEWING them!
Jeez, did I stutter, or do you just read what you want to read?

21 posted on 11/21/2001 8:07:59 AM PST by Psalm 73
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Comment #22 Removed by Moderator

To: hogwaller
"Only liberals and socialists back the power of the Federal Government over that of the states."

Oh, cute - did you make that up all by yourself?
What about "to provide for a common defense"?
The rights of the state do not supercede the US Constitution.
Perhaps you think that a memeber of the US armed forces on a military base in your state are also either "liberal" or " socialists"
Do you prefer anarchy?

23 posted on 11/21/2001 8:15:11 AM PST by Psalm 73
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To: Psalm 73
States Rights should always precede Federal law, except for the powers delegated to the Federal Government. However the commie scum police chief is using his own interpretation of what constitutes a crime and reasonable interviews. Because his hatred of hiw own country exceeds his common sense.
24 posted on 11/21/2001 8:17:27 AM PST by CyberSpartacus
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To: hogwaller
"Those who would give up their liberty for safety deserve neither."

We're not talking about motorcycle helmets here, we are talking about the integrity of our nation, which just happens to be under attack from these terrorists, or is that all part of the New World Order conspiracy?
Man, lighten up - as long as we have 80 million American citizens under arms, we have our liberty (as long as you don't live in New Jersey).

25 posted on 11/21/2001 8:22:15 AM PST by Psalm 73
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To: hogwaller
Maybe because Ashcroft is overstepping his bounds and Oregonians have guts?

Oregon (Portland and Eugene) is the world headquarters for environmental terrorism, the Earth Liberation Front...

Liberal Oregon jealously protects these environmental terrorists. Why should they treat other America-haters differently?

26 posted on 11/21/2001 8:23:06 AM PST by Conservative
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To: CyberSpartacus
"except for the powers delegated to the Federal Government."

If that's not what I said, it's what I meant.
A state must respect the US constitution, I know that.

27 posted on 11/21/2001 8:26:19 AM PST by Psalm 73
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Comment #28 Removed by Moderator

To: Psalm 73
Oregon is a renegade state: first they force other states to tolerate their killer doctors traveling around, second they force other states to deal with terror that Oregon is stamping as unrelated.

Oregon is playing with secession. This terrorism business ain't over and is getting ugly. Hope the Prez and Ashkroft are strong enough to withstand the PC that breaks the country appart. We have already problems with Mexico allowing killers to go into the US, we do not need Oregon to breed them on US soil.

29 posted on 11/21/2001 8:31:51 AM PST by lavaroise
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To: Conservative
"Liberal Oregon jealously protects these environmental terrorists. Why should they treat other America-haters differently?"

Ouch, ya' mean these environmental terrorists and Libertarians have something in common?

30 posted on 11/21/2001 8:33:56 AM PST by Psalm 73
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To: hogwaller; Psalm 73
The right of the state imply duties of the state toward other states. I'd hate to see killers in Oregon running free to harass other states. Yet with allowing murdering suicide doctorers and police non-cooperatiion with homeland defense, Oregon has crossed the fine line between rights and dereliction of duty. We do not need terror states in the US. N'ough said.
31 posted on 11/21/2001 8:34:39 AM PST by lavaroise
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Comment #32 Removed by Moderator

To: All
"But the law does not allow us to go out and arbitrarily interview people whose only offense is immigration or citizenship ..."

Several posters seem to think they're talking about illegal immigrants. That's not what was stated. In effect, the Feds wanted anyone who was a male, within a certain age range and from the middle east to be "interviewed." Kinda like interviewing everybody who posts on FR 'cause they might be subversive.

33 posted on 11/21/2001 8:40:42 AM PST by oldfart
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To: hogwaller
"The rights of the state do not supercede the US Constitution."
10th Amendment.:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

This is semantics. The states cannot make laws that run contrary to those in the Constitution.
They cannot make treaties with other nations, cannot mint thier own currency, etc.
They cannot allow the owning of slaves, and must be allowed defend the (Constitutional) rights of the very young (pre-birth babies).

34 posted on 11/21/2001 8:43:31 AM PST by Psalm 73
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To: Psalm 73
The Federal Govt. are the master's of the 'if you don't help us out, we won't help you out' policy. Now the tables are being turned on them.....and I love it.
35 posted on 11/21/2001 8:45:19 AM PST by Nate505
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Comment #36 Removed by Moderator

To: Psalm 73
Somehow, I have the feeling that if the subject were: guns, wetlands, spotted owls, "homophobia" or any of a number of left-wing causes, the Portland Police Dept. would be front and center in the investigation into "suspicious activity."
37 posted on 11/21/2001 8:46:30 AM PST by LJLucido
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To: hogwaller
"Only time will tell. Hope I'm wrong and you're right."

If I'm wrong, I'll gladly share my ammo clips and rations with you, because it will be partly my fault.

38 posted on 11/21/2001 8:48:12 AM PST by Psalm 73
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To: Psalm 73
We are not talking about internment, we are INTERVIEWING them!

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

Interviewing Japanese in 1941 didn't do any good.

39 posted on 11/21/2001 8:55:13 AM PST by 74dodgedart
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To: LJLucido
Somehow, I have the feeling that if the subject were: guns, wetlands, spotted owls, "homophobia" or any of a number of left-wing causes, the Portland Police Dept. would be front and center in the investigation into "suspicious activity."

Somehow, I have the feeling if this artocle was about Janet Reno instead of Ashcroft we would have a Freeper stampede condeming the actions of the Fed gov't.

40 posted on 11/21/2001 8:56:57 AM PST by 74dodgedart
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