If he pleads guilty, then there's a feather in the cap of the prosecution quickly,

It's not our intention to bring any details of cooperation. All we're asking for is a sentence at the bottom of the guidelines.

It was a very pro forma hearing, just the formal entry of his not guilty plea,

You would expect a translator to take his lead from the defense lawyer and you would not expect that translator to understand the intricacies of a very broad criminal statute. There is a real issue whether it's even fair to charge, much less convict, someone like him.

We do not say surveillance should be stopped, only that it comply with the law.

The government will dismiss the remaining counts of the Miami indictment at the time of sentencing and will also recommend that the sentence imposed in the Miami case run concurrently to any sentence imposed as a result of charges filed today in the District of Columbia.

We should stand shoulder to shoulder with the president in our desire to fight terrorism in this country and around the world, but we cannot allow the Constitution and our rights to become victim to our fight against terrorism.

We are not trying to limit the President's ability to go after terrorists.

Suffice it to say, we vigorously disagree with the allegations and will be ready when they get to court.

I think that's just government stonewalling. It's more of the same decision not to allow any details of NSA domestic surveillance to get out.