U.S. moves to block suit against Iran-focused group
▻http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2014/09/us-moves-to-block-suit-against-iranfocused-group-195409.html?hp=r2
Warning of potential damage to U.S. national security, the Justice Department on Friday asked a federal judge to halt a civil lawsuit against one of the most prominent private organizations fighting Iran’s nuclear program.
The invocation of the state secrets privilege in Greek shipping magnate Victor Restis’s lawsuit against United Against Nuclear #Iran [#UNANI] is unusual because the U.S. Government is not a party to the litigation, but is insisting that allowing the suit between the private parties to proceed any further will jeopardize American #secrets that must be kept under wraps.
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In general, a private group would not be expected to have classified information. However, UANI’s leadership has long been populated by former senior officials of the U.S. Government who would have been privy to such information at one time. The group is currently headed by former Bush State Department official Mark Wallace and former Obama arms control adviser Gary Samore.