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[audio http://peterbcollins.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Leopold.Hesham.About_.mp3 ]
In Part 2 of our interview with Jason Leopold of Truthout, we talk about his 14-month investigation. It started when he read a comment on Andy Worthington’s site that referred to Abu Zubaidah’s brother. With a trained nose for news, Leopold tracked him down and began his investigation. Originally, Leopold was looking for information on the alleged terrorist, because all available info had come from the government. As he delved into it, Leopold realized that Hani and Hesham were very different brothers, and Hesham revealed more about his immigration problems, his service as an FBI informant, and his continuing desire to be a true American. Leopold, who has mastered the process of the Freedom of Information Act, has prodded the government into releasing some documents about Hesham, but others remain undisclosed. In a chilling episode, Hesham is visited by FBI agents who demonstrate they know a lot about Leopold and his work, and the agents try to persuade Hesham to withdraw his approval of FOIA requests. Kudos to Leopold for standing firm in the face of intimidation tactics.