Glenn Greenwald's <a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/04/13/the_real_criminals_in_the_tarek_mehanna_case/">column</a> today features the statement delivered by Tarek Menanna at his sentencing hearing on Thursday. Essential reading in my opinion. Here's how it starts: <br>
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<br>TAREK’S SENTENCING STATEMENT<br>APRIL 12, 2012</p><p style="margin-top:1em;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:1em;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;border-style:initial;border-color:initial;outline-width:0px;outline-style:initial;outline-color:initial;vertical-align:baseline;background-image:initial;background-color:transparent;line-height:1.5em">
Read to Judge O’Toole during his sentencing, April 12th 2012.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:1.6em;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:1.6em;border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;border-style:initial;border-color:initial;outline-width:0px;outline-style:initial;outline-color:initial;font-size:13px;vertical-align:baseline;background-image:initial;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);quotes:'';color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.5em;font-family:Georgia,'Droid Serif','Times New Roman',Times,serif">
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In the name of God the most gracious the most merciful Exactly four years ago this month I was finishing my work shift at a local hospital. As I was walking to my car I was approached by two federal agents. They said that I had a choice to make: I could do things the easy way, or I could do them the hard way. The “easy ” way, as they explained, was that I would become an informant for the government, and if I did so I would never see the inside of a courtroom or a prison cell. As for the hard way, this is it. Here I am, having spent the majority of the four years since then in a solitary cell the size of a small closet, in which I am locked down for 23 hours each day. The FBI and these prosecutors worked very hard-and the government spent millions of tax dollars – to put me in that cell, keep me there, put me on trial, and finally to have me stand here before you today to be sentenced to even more time in a cell.</p>
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In the weeks leading up to this moment, many people have offered suggestions as to what I should say to you. Some said I should plead for mercy in hopes of a light sentence, while others suggested I would be hit hard either way. But what I want to do is just talk about myself for a few minutes.</p>
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<a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/04/13/the_real_criminals_in_the_tarek_mehanna_case/">http://www.salon.com/2012/04/13/the_real_criminals_in_the_tarek_mehanna_case/</a>
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