Power of the Small: Another dirty-deeds-done-dirt-cheap move by the Bush administration?

This week in the "Metro" section in the Washington Post is an article regarding the families of 9/11 victims and their reaction to Transportation Security Administration's lawyer, Carla Martin and the so-called "mistake" that this supposedly knowledgeable lawyer made in coaching federal witnesses in defiance of trial judge Brinkema's order that witnesses be excluded from trial transcripts and coaching. Ms. Martin proceeded to email seven government witnesses and what this amounts to is that all "aviation" testimony will be excluded from the trial.

The families of 9/11 victims variously state in the article: "I think what all of us are looking for is the truth, and the truth has not been forthcoming out of Washington. I mean, I can only speak for myself, but I do not feel that the truth has come out no matter how hard we as family members have tried. And this was just one more avenue to find a particle of truth,
and that is being thwarted." And: Some family members questioned how Martin could have blatantly disregarded a court order -- or not been aware of it.Some wondered whether she was being used as a scapegoat for other government officials who did not want the aviation security evidence to be made public."I don't think she is alone," Dillard said in a telephone interview last night. "I just don't think she could have gotten away with that. Somebody helped her or prompted her. It just makes me wonder whether this is one more thing where no one is going to be held accountable. . . . It's almost too clean. I wonder if there is more to the story than we know."And: Some family members saw some irony in the judge's decision because, on the surface, excluding aviation security testimony would appear to favor the defense, but the family members said it would hurt their quest to get as much information made public as possible about the circumstances of their loved ones' deaths."I felt the government wasn't telling us all that it knew, and I do know that feeling is shared in the Massachusetts circle of families within which I travel," said Blake Allison, of Hanover, N.H., whose wife, Anna Allison, was killed on American Airlines Flight 11. "We talked about this the first day of the trial, the hope that the trial would bring some clarity to some of the circumstances leading up to 9/11." When one considers the amount of surveillance that has taken place in this country, one has to wonder what the Bush administration has in the way of extortion on Ms. Martin to turn this formerly bright and capable woman into a shill for this administration. Perhaps the kids at Loose Change 2 got it right after all.Do yourself a favor if you haven't already done so. Go to this site and watch the movie. Then read any article available on Ms. Martin's actions. Decide for yourself what the truth just might be when it comes to September 11, 2001.(Monsters and Critics' columns are written by outside contributors. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Monsters and Critics. In the interests of creating an open forum, we invite you to volunteer a regular column of your own. To apply conact the "submissions" department via this form. Please include an outline and sample.)