US May Invoke "State Secrets" To Stop Banking Suit

An anonymous reader sends us to the International Herald Tribune for news that the Bush administration is signaling that it plans to turn once again to a favorite legal tool, the 'state secrets' privilege. The administration wants to shut down a lawsuit brought against Swift, a huge Belgium banking cooperative that that the article calls the "nerve center of the global banking industry," after it was revealed that Swift secretly let the CIA comb through millions of private financial records. Quoting: "Two US banking customers sued Swift on invasion-of-privacy grounds. Many legal and financial analysts expected that the lawsuit would be thrown out because US banking privacy laws are considered much more lax than those in much of Europe. But to the surprise of many, a judge refused to throw out the lawsuit in a ruling in June."

To put it another way...

[PlayItBogart]

Hey, can I rummage through your girlfriend's panty drawer? She won't mind, right? I'm looking for weapons of mass destruction. Seriously.

Re:So, uhhhh, when....

[NeverVotedBush]

Well, heck, ya'll gotta knowed that iff'n ya'll don't support our troops, ya'll is un-'Merican, raght?

I know it sounds like that's got nuthin' to do with the CIA combin' threw all them fi-nan-chial transactshuns but it does. I swears it does.

We gotta hunt them terr'ists everwhere they are fownd! I give up my freedumbs so's I can be safe from terra!

Re:So, uhhhh, when....

[arivanov]

He is definitely un-'Merican. Wee means small is Glaswegian and the last time I have heard Glasgow is still part of the UK though some fishy characters want it to secede.

Re:To put it another way...

[arivanov]

I'm looking for weapons of mass destruction

Surely, weapons of mass distraction, right?

No way!

[michaelmuffin]

You mean to tell me that the rich are collaborating with the powerful? Well that's gotta be a first...

Re:Slashdot Racism Is Insightful??!!

[hamburger lady]

'a bit of a southern drawl' is not the same as 'chews up and mangles the english language'.

thanks for playing tho.

I guess the it shows conservatives are focus better on issues that the lefty crowd.

it's almost comedy! speaking of mangling english...

God bless

[Anonymous Coward]

God Bless America, land of the free. ... If you're a politician, you're free to do whatever the hell you want.

Re:a $(MYCOUNTRY) child is worth more

[Torvaun]

What country doesn't value it's own children most?

China?

Re:this all sounds so shady

[IAmBetterThanYou]

"I highly recommend reading the whole linked article, it's shows the exact the Presidents insistence that "if we don't do this there will be another Sept.11th" works so well."

It works so well because he understands the risks involved. If you dislike patriotism so much, just come out and say it, don't hide behind these excuses.

Please stop lying.