Obama administration sides with Saudis in 9/11 suit
By Stephen C. Webster — May 31, 2009
http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/05/31/obama-sides-with-saudis/
A lawsuit filed by relatives of 9/11 victims which seeks to pin the blame on the Saudi royal family
for financing attacks against the United States just acquired a significant new opponent: the Obama administration.
MONDAY JUNE 1, 2009 05:02 EDT
Obama’s support for the new Graham-Lieberman secrecy law
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/06/01/photos/index.html
It was one thing when President Obama reversed himself last month by announcing that he would appeal the Second Circuit’s ruling that the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) compelled disclosure of various photographs of detainee abuse sought by the ACLU. Agree or disagree with Obama’s decision, at least the basic legal framework of transparency was being respected, since Obama’s actions amounted to nothing more than a request that the Supreme Court review whether the mandates of FOIA actually required disclosure in this case. But now — obviously anticipating that the Government is likely to lose in court again (.pdf) — Obama wants Congress to change FOIA by retroactively narrowing its disclosure requirements,nprevent a legal ruling by the courts, and vest himself with brand new secrecy powers under the law which, just as a factual matter, not even George Bush sought for himself.