[We could all send sympathy cards to the Minneapolis FBI
office. -Michele]
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This article is from the twice monthly newspaper, News From Indian
Country. It is published by Indian Country Communications, Inc.
with offices at Rt.2 Box 2900A, Hayward, WI 54843. They may be
contacted by calling (715) 634-5226; FAX (715) 634-3243.
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FBI Director Says Peltier Publicity Hurting Agents' Morale
Minneapolis, Minnesota
by Mordecai Specktor, Special to News From Indian Country
Federal Bureau of Investigations director, William Sessions, has
written a letter defending the activities of the FBI's Minneapolis
Division's Special Agent-in-Charge, Nicolas O'Hara, who has been
spreading the FBI's side of the story in the case of Leonard
Peltier.
In a March 8 letter to U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone (D-Minn),
Sessions explained that the Department of Justice guidelines "allow
for the release of factual, incontrovertible information" which
serves a "law enforcement function."
Wellstone had written to Sessions inquiring about the propriety
of O'Hara writing newspaper opinion pieces and lobbying elected
officials regarding Peltier, who is waiting on a decision on his
appeal to the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. The 8th Circuit
appellate judges heard oral arguments in the case last November in
St. Paul. Peltier, an American Indian Movement activist, is serving
two consecutive life sentences for the 1975 murders of two FBI
agents near Oglala on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation.
"Public attention given to various misrepresentations of facts"
concerning Peltier and the shoot-out at Oglala "has adversely
impacted our ability to perform our law enforcement mission,"
declared Sessions, who has been taking the heat recently over
charges that eh used FBI transportation for personal purposes.
"FBI Special Agents investigating federal crimes within our
jurisdiction on Indian reservations have been placed at a
disadvantage; unanswered negative characterizations of the FBI have
tolled negatively on morale; and recruiting effort to enhance
representation of Native Americans has likely suffered," Sessions
noted.
"Poor guys," remarked Ramsey Clark, Peltier's attorney, in
response to this passage.
Clark, a former U.S. Attorney General, told News From Indian
Country, "Of course, [Sessions letter] doesn't address what's been
happening. I mean, the special agent in charge [Nicolas O'Hara]
going out and talking to the media about Peltier being the
shooter."
Clark stated that O'Hara's recitation of certain aspects of
Peltire's case "is just contrary to admissions by other parts of
the Department of Justice. The U.S. Attorney conceded they couldn't
prove who the shooter was, and [O'Hara] is quoted several times as
saying that Peltier is the shooter and they know he's the shooter"
of the point-blank rifle rounds that killed the wounded FBI agents.
As to William Sessions contention that FBI morale and recruiting
efforts among Native Americans have suffered, Ramsey Clark replied
that the "FBI has been on a kind of crusade" in the upper midwest,
which is intended "basically to prejudice the public's mind against
Peltier and misusing facts in doing so."
In his letter to Sen. Wellstone, Sessions quoted only a portion
of the relevant Department of Justice guidelines, which state,
"Disclosures should include only incontrovertible, factual matters,
and should not include subjective observations." The guidelines
specifically warn against releasing "certain types of information"
which tend to "create dangers of prejudice without serving a
significant law enforcement function," such as "observations about
the defendant's character."
O'Hara has characterized Peltier as a "terrible criminal" guilty
of the "cold-blooded ambush murders" of two FBI agents.
FBI spokesperson Ellen Glasser in Washington, D.C., would not
comment about "specifics of the case," suggesting that the
Minneapolis FBI office should be contacted.
"All I can do is tell you that we don't think it's inappropriate
to comment on the factual information that's contained in the
public record; simply because, while we haven't commented very
publicly on this case, we feel quite strongly that there has been a
negative impact on our mission because of unanswered criticism."
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Michele Lord * Walk in Peace with
milo@scicom.alphacdc.com * our Mother Earth
* and our Father Sky.
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