Additionally, in 1999, Lance alleges that Fitzgerald signed a false affidavit published for the first time in Triple Cross "swearing that the al Qaeda intelligence collected by an FBI informant was a fabrication, a "hoax" and "scam" perpetrated by [one of the planners of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing Ramsey] Yousef and a Mafia figure the FBI had used to "sting" Yousef for eleven months from 1996-97."
Lance's theory is that Fitzgerald knowingly filed the false affidavit to possibly cover up ties between the FBI agent and a major mafia figure, who was the jailhouse informant's father.
A careful analysis of the book's footnotes and appendices clearly shows that all of the charges Lance leveled against Fitzgerald can be backed up by documentary evidence.
'A Deliberate Lie'
Still, in one of his most recent letters
to Harper Collins and despite the publication of supporting documents
and footnotes that would appear to back up the allegations made against
him, Fitzgerald characterized Triple Cross as "a deliberate lie masquerading as truth."
Lance said that statement, as well as Fitzgerald's comments
to the Associated Press, is defamatory and libelous and uttered with
"actual malice" and reckless disregard for the truth, which is what
Fitzgerald had accused Lance of in writing Triple Cross.
"Even
though I believe that Fitzgerald libeled me both in his 'deliberate lie
masquerading as the truth' line in his fourth letter to [Harper
Collins] and in his false statement to the AP, I would never sue
Fitzgerald for libel or try and use the civil defamation laws to
suppress criticism or limit public debate on an issue as he attempted
to do in his 32 pages of threat letters sent to me and my publisher in
what amounted to a 20 month personal vendetta," Lance said.
"I believe in the free marketplace of ideas, and even if defamed by a powerful official like Fitzgerald, I would not use the civil tort of defamation to try and prevent him from expressing himself."
Several weeks ago, Fitzgerald told the publisher if Triple Cross was published as planned and "it defames me or casts me in a false light, Harper Collins will be sued."
Thus far, Fitzgerald has not made good on his threat.
