7648: Privacy Act (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Michael Deibert <michael@clubplanet.com>

In the wake of the murder of the motorist and the attempted kidnapping of
Marc Ashton, I noticed this tidbit in the AP coverage

>>>The U.S. embassy declined to comment on both the Morales and Ashton cases
because of the U.S. Privacy Act.<<<

Does anyone know the specifics of this Act and why it would keep the embassy
from making a statement on acts that jeopardize the lives of U.S. citizens?
I found this rather curious.

Michael Deibert