Can The Rosenberg Case Be Reopened? (Part One)

[radicalfilms]

The Dept. of Justice's continued refusal to open the FBI's file on the Rosenberg Case, what with the USSR no longer in existence, leads one to question the integrity of the prosecution's case.

[DarkQuietWyattON]

The issue for me is not if they were guilty, clearly with the fall of the Soviet Union documents have come to light that show they were. The issue is why THEY were executed and Greenglass and Sobell were not. I don't think the case needs re-opened. We know they were guilty from the records the Soviets kept but we need to examine why 2 people (one was a mother) were executed and 2 others were not. I believe the Soviets identified Rosenberg as the ringleader but I could be wrong.

[edgeacebeaglebrady]

That's the whole point. The Rosenbergs NEVER GOT a fair trial. Case needs to be reopened.

[zephyrfalcon1966]

correct me if I am wrong please, but wasn't there something about david greenglass openly admitting after the executions that he sacrificed his sister and brother in law to save his wife, and that he would do it again?

[radicalfilms]

@zephyrfalcon1966 That is essentially what Greenglass said when he was interviewed on 60 MInutes in 2001.

[radicalfilms]

The contradiction remains: which law was applicable, the Espionage Act of 1917, which did not provide for the death penalty, or the Atomic Energy Act of 1946, which did, but required a separate trial with a jury. Judge Kaufman's issuance of the death penalty appears to have confused the penalty provisions of both laws. Justice Black's issuance of a stay until the matter could be resolved by a lower court was over-ridden by Chief Justice Clark's unprecedented reconvening of the Court.

[silver21662]

on beria's orders, the russians copied the Fat-Man design as it was a gurantee that it would work, even though a purely russian design was built along side Joe-1, and when tested as Joe-2, produced 38kt with half the weight and buld of Joe-1/ Fat-Man, so russia wasnt as far behind as the U/S thought. a scientist called theodore(ted) hall passed secrets to the russians, but he was never prosecuted. ask why?

[silver21662]

if you know your atomic history, you know that russia had an atomic bomb program at the start of the war, or at least until the german invasion of russia, and as such, had to dismantle it quickly. stalin knew about manhattan before truman did. as edward teller once remarked, the laws of physics operates on both sides of the atlantic. what, or if any, information the rosenbergs passed to the soviets would have made little difference

[radicalfilms]

Sobell's confession of having spied for the USSR, an ally of the USA during WWII, fails to justify the Rosenberg's being given the death penalty. It was the testimony by Greenglass, a scientifically inept, and now self-admitted perjurer, that brought the Rosenberg's prosecution under the Atomic Energy Act & the death penalty. The entirety of the FBI's interrogation files of Greenglass, which initiated the case, should be made public in order to dispell the suspicion he was prompted.

[JPPT1974]

Greenglass gave his only interview to 60 Minutes in 2001, and says he has no remorse about sending his sister Ethel, along with her husband Julius, to the chair. And he was only saving his own skin, as well as his wife's. Julius seemed to be more involved and should had been sent to the chair. But Ethel, was made to be a scapegoat. As her involvement has been questioned for years and always will be. But Greenglass perjured himself. That secret he will take to his grave tragically.

[radicalfilms]

The legality of the trial remains open to question, as does the refusal to release the FBI files 55 years after the Rosenbergs were executed. The testimony of Greenglass, the principal witness, who'd failed every college science class he'd taken: that he'd deduced the "secret" of the atomic bomb by eavesdropping on the conversations of scientists at Las Alamos, is difficult to accept.

[Checkmateking22]

I don't think there is any question the trial was somthing we as Americans would want to see again. Yet the seriousness of atomic espionage is somthing that was taken into account. I think all the documents should be released.

[radicalfilms]

Only comments relative to the legal issues raised by this case will be displayed. The fundamental question is: When subsequent revelations indicate that the prosecution may have withheld exculpatory information, or presented falsified testimony, is there any procedure under the US legal system for retrying someone who has already been executed?

[radicalfilms]

NEW YORK TIMES

Ethel Rosenberg didn't type secrets for Soviets, more evidence suggests

Grand jury testimony from the Rosenberg case is released -- and reveals that a key trial claim was never brought up at the time.

From the Associated Press

September 12, 2008

WASHINGTON -- Grand jury transcripts released Thursday from the biggest espionage case of the Cold War raise questions about whether Ethel Rosenberg was convicted and executed based on perjured prosecution testimony.