It’s the ultimate challenge to a court of law: trust the word of the defence lawyers, or that of a seasoned member of the Bush regime. Seems like a losing proposition in any light, but judges will have to contend with it nonetheless as defence attorneys for the ongoing American Israel Public Affairs Committee spy case allege U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice leaked classified information to the pro-Israeli lobbyists accused of passing info to Israel.

A federal judge granted the defence team’s request to subpoena Rice and three other administration lackies after lawyers claimed they would show implicit high-ranking approval of their clients’ alleged treason. Abbe Lowell, lawyer for defendant Steven Rosen, argued that Rice’s testimony was crucial to showing the U.S. government had authorized the leak of the national defence information his client passed on. Rice’s press pimp called the claims “utterly false.”

One of the others subpoenaed is former Pentagon official Lawrence A. Franklin, who was given a 12-year prison sentence after confessing his role in the leaks to Rosen and fellow former AIPAC staffer Keith Weissman.

» Scott Saxon