Lindauer update

More on the alleged "spy" for Iraq, Susan Lindauer: We have further indications that the "conspiracy" count against her is fraudulent. As noted in an earlier post, the indictment does not mention a single instance of her working with the alleged co-conspirators, Wisam Noman al-Anbuke and his brother, Raed Roman al-Anbuke (both sons of a former Iraqi diplomat). Indeed, nowhere does the indictment link the three in any specific way.

According to a March 17 Reuters story, the brothers' defense attorney has denied that the men even knew her.

An earlier indictment against the al-Anbukes makes no mention of a conspiracy involving an American woman.

Why, then, do they pop up in the Lindauer indictment? I suspect, based on the facts so far available, that she was placed alongside two young men of Middle Eastern origin for propaganda purposes. Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter and others have pushed the "Democrats befriend terrorists" theme, and l'affair Lindauer plays right into the new McCarthyism.

I will put my suspicion into rewrite, of course, the moment someone demonstrates that the three colluded even once to commit a criminal act. Hell, I'd like to see some evidence that they even spoke on the phone.

Susan Lindauer's father, a former Republican candidate for Governor of Alaska, said that his daughter would not face these woes if she had come out against John Kerry.