Debbie Schlussel: Whew!: "Justice" Dept. Lets Chiquita Chertoff Off the Hook in Terrorist Finance
Recently, I wrote about Michael "Serpenthead" Chertoff's knowing approval and complicity with Chiquita Banana's illegal payoffs to terrorists in Colombia.
Chertoff was told about the payments when he headed the criminal division of the Justice Department (and, apparently, when Julie Myers worked for him--she probably knew, too, but natch, the Senate didn't ask her about that, today). Yet, despite the fact that the terrorist group was on the State Department terrorist list, he did nothing and looked the other way because his former law partner and crony was a top Chiquita official.
Well, today, the Wall Street Journal reports that Chiquita's ex-officials who made and sanctioned the payments to terrorists won't be prosecuted. This sets a dangerous precedent for those who pay off Islamic terrorists. They will be able to claim selective prosecution and make Due Process and Equal Protection of the Law defenses.
But I'm sure this failure to prosecute five men who paid hundreds of thousands to terrorists who murdered peasant had nothing to do with protecting Michael Chertoff.
I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security has his name all over evidence that would have surfaced in the case. Evidence that showed he was aware of the pay-offs to terrorists and let them continue for over a year, doing nothing.
I'm sure it had nothing to do with saving the rather exposed butt of the man who claims he's fighting terrorists when he actually aided and abetted him.
Yup, this decision had nothing to do with sparing embarrassment of Michael Chertoff, as he would have surely been called as a witness at trial, as attorneys for the five men were planning to do.
Right?
Looks like the Serpenthead is luckier than a cat. He certainly has more lives.
Posted by Debbie on September 12, 2007 12:52 PM to Debbie Schlussel