The Wall Street Journal-20080215-Clinton-s 1999 Terrorist Pardons Still Rankle

Return to: The_Wall_Street_Journal-20080215

Clinton's 1999 Terrorist Pardons Still Rankle

Full Text (176  words)

Among those astonished at Bill Clinton's pardon of FALN terror group members in August 1999, you may count at least one federal prosecutor ("The Clintons' Terror Pardons," op-ed, Feb. 12). A few hardy souls were working in the Manhattan U.S. attorney's office on New Year's Eve 1982, getting ready for trials in the New Year, when the guard called us downstairs because of a bomb threat. A few minutes later, the bomb went off underneath the concrete bridge to our office. We were safe, but Officer Rocco Pascarella lost his fingers and eyesight while attempting to disarm the bomb. Detective Anthony Senft was also grievously injured. We were preparing, at the time, for a major federal RICO prosecution of landlord arsonists in the Bronx and Harlem. But terror is usually indiscriminate in its targets.

As Debra Burlingame states, the pardon power was indeed abused by the White House. However, in a political season, it would be well to ask all the candidates for president to state how they would handle a similar situation.

Ruth Wedgwood

Washington