CIA or Cheney in a World of Trouble
Just for argument sake it is safe to say that what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas when it comes to personal entertainment. In the same respects, what happens at the CIA should stay at the CIA no matter who or what political party is in power. Currently, the U.S. Attorney General is opening an investigation into what happened with interrogations of enemies of the United States of America during the Bush Presidency. That would include the CIA and anyone that gave orders to the CIA to do that funky stuff that we could only hope that never could happen to you or I. That means looking into interoggation techniques used on people that would kill you or me in a heartbeat if given a knife, gun, rusty piece of steel pipe or whatever weapon their hands could reach. They don’t need a reason to kill you or I other than the fact that our birth certificate makes you and I an American citizen. Open and shut case or argument.
Eric H. Holder Jr. is putting his dogs on the scent of a suspected crime against American values and laws during the Bush administration and that is his job. If laws are broken by government employees no matter where they work, it is his obligation and the oath of office he swore to uphold to look into and investigate appropriately. That is what the U.S. Attorney General is supposed to do even if his boss, the President, suggests that he back off. Is this a case of what was decided in D.C. should have stayed in Langley, VA? Attorney General Holder appointed John Durham who by all means of the words fair and balanced is a fair and balanced investigator to find the truth of what happened when and if United States laws were broken by the CIA. This next quote is from the U.S. Attorney General himself on 8/24/09…
"Assistant United States Attorney John Durham was appointed in 2008 by then-Attorney General Michael Mukasey to investigate the destruction of CIA videotapes of detainee interrogations. During the course of that investigation, Mr. Durham has gained great familiarity with much of the information that is relevant to the matter at hand.
Accordingly, I have decided to expand his mandate to encompass this related review. Mr. Durham, who is a career prosecutor with the Department of Justice and who has assembled a strong investigative team of experienced professionals, will recommend to me whether there is sufficient predication for a full investigation into whether the law was violated in connection with the interrogation of certain detainees.” - ATTY Generals Office
Eric H. Holder Jr. is putting his dogs on the scent of a suspected crime against American values and laws during the Bush administration and that is his job. If laws are broken by government employees no matter where they work, it is his obligation and the oath of office he swore to uphold to look into and investigate appropriately. That is what the U.S. Attorney General is supposed to do even if his boss, the President, suggests that he back off. Is this a case of what was decided in D.C. should have stayed in Langley, VA? Attorney General Holder appointed John Durham who by all means of the words fair and balanced is a fair and balanced investigator to find the truth of what happened when and if United States laws were broken by the CIA. This next quote is from the U.S. Attorney General himself on 8/24/09…
"Assistant United States Attorney John Durham was appointed in 2008 by then-Attorney General Michael Mukasey to investigate the destruction of CIA videotapes of detainee interrogations. During the course of that investigation, Mr. Durham has gained great familiarity with much of the information that is relevant to the matter at hand.
Accordingly, I have decided to expand his mandate to encompass this related review. Mr. Durham, who is a career prosecutor with the Department of Justice and who has assembled a strong investigative team of experienced professionals, will recommend to me whether there is sufficient predication for a full investigation into whether the law was violated in connection with the interrogation of certain detainees.” - ATTY Generals Office
I don’t see any issue with the CIA doing what they are paid and entrusted to do and that is to protect America from outside sources that can or could bring harm to our people. I do have to beg and plead with you to consider one thought to really think about concerning the article from the Washington Post and Carrie Johnson and that would be the outside CONTRACTORS that the CIA hired to do what the CIA is supposed to be trained and paid to do.
You hire a contractor to put an addition on your house, or rewire your house, or landscape your yard. Hell even businesses hire contractors to put a new roof on the building. When did the government outsource interrogation of possible enemies of the United States to a freakin’ outside contractor? What the hell are we paying the CIA for if we can just go to the Yellow Pages and dial up terrorist interrogators? Maybe even get a discount coupon for twenty or more people needing to be interrogated?
The truth needs to come out just like Dick Cheney wants to tell the world in his new book that his boss was a wimp and he was the real Czar on terrorist defense. History is funny and I’m thinking that my friends on the right side of politics may have been right. President Bush may not have been the dick (Cheney) after all.
Bring on the special prosecutor! It will be extremely interesting to see how far up the chain of command that the thought of our laws actually have no meaning. In the rear view mirror and looking at this situation, the CIA shouldn't be put on trial for following orders from a civilian government. Following orders at the CIA from the boss is no different than a Marine told to charge ahead in battle. Same mission, just a different objective. You do what you are told and that is what you do. The ones needing to be prosecuted are the people that said "No Matter What It Takes!"
Papamoka
Labels: Bush, Bush Administration, Bush Presidency, Cheney, CIA, Contractors for CIA, Eric Holder, Gitmo, Guantanamo, Interrogation, John Durham, Justice Department, Obama, Politics, Terrorist, Terrorists
posted by Papamoka at
11:25 PM
7 Comments:
great post Mat! I did say somewhere Bush is a mommas boy and satan had his arm around Dick and Donald didn't I??
I agree Mat - great post! I'm looking forward to seeing just how far up they go. I'm not holding my breath, but I am hopeful. :)
too bad this administration doesn't go after terrorism with the same fervor they go after American citizens.
i.e-Joe the Plumber,Sarah Palin,Cambridge Police,Middle class and wealthy Americans,Private industry,people's healthcare,doctors who cut off limbs an remove tonsils for money.
Lisa
Frodo is uncomfortable that human beings are subjected to actions which humanity deems to be insufferable. He is torn asunder by the fact that stateless nihilists are afforded basic human rights when they have no intention of reciprocity. There would be no quandry for Frodo if the enemy were something less than ill-educated,ignorant,ideologues.
Frodo knows that he would not have hesitated like Michael Dukakis when the question arose about protecting one's own. In truth, the "inhumanity" of which we speak is actually our "humanity," simply because it arises so often,throughout our history. How can it be deemed exceptional when it is so frequent?
Suffering, in Frodo's mind, is what our Maker was asked to forgive. That indicates to Frodo that he would not have approved. Any other question is temporal and is subject to the laws of men.
I suppose there should be a distinction made here between terrorists and suspected terrorists deemed "enemy combatants" and held without any legal course for years.
Information gathered by such techniques could do mor eharm than good.
Waterboard me. I will tell you Papamoka is a cross-dresser, Sue is a narc, Michael is a South sea pirate and Frodo is a gun-totin' midget. :-)
But Obama still uses Rendition so this is the biggest contradiction of all and for those of us who know better this is about revenge.
It's not like the CIA went rogue.
DO you think if the CIA had a suspected terrorist who knew something about an attack that will be happening here and the CIA calls Obama and asks what to do. You think he will say give him a bubble bath an a lobster dinner?
I don't think even Obama would want that on his resume'.
I just wish they would stop the distractions and start to at least try to stimulate the economy and stop labeling people who have deep concerns about what is happening as stupid or fear mongers or brown shirts. We need a leader not a ruler.
Already they are bussing in his private little army of "organizers" to Town Hall meetings. Not even from those districts.
That Civilian Security Force sure comes in handy when you want to force an agenda.
Lisa
One of the most informative and well-documented newsletters online is The Progress Report from the Center for American Progress (subscribe free at americanprogress.org).
Tonight I had the chance to catch up on several back issues, including the 25 August issue: “Prosecuting Torture.”
The detailed accounts of torture coming out of several recently released documents say a lot.
Forget what they say to recipients (victims) of such torture. Forget what might have resulted from it.
They say to the world:
“This is the United States of America. This is what we have become. This is who we are.”
Now, sing along:
“America, America,
God shed His grace on Thee,
And crowned thy good with brotherhood,
From sea to shining sea.”
BJ
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