Democrats: CIA is out to get us

[Toler]

Democrats: CIA is out to get us


Democrats charged Tuesday that the CIA has released documents about congressional briefings on harsh interrogation techniques in order to deflect attention and blame away from itself.

“I think there is so much embarrassment in some quarters [of the CIA] that people are going to try to shift some of the responsibility to others — that’s what I think,” said Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), who sat on the Senate Intelligence Committee and was briefed on interrogation techniques five times between 2006 and 2007.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said he finds it “interesting” that a document detailing congressional briefings was released just as “some of the groups that have been responsible for these interrogation techniques were taking the most criticism.”

Asked whether the CIA was seeking political cover by releasing the documents, Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said: “Sure it is.”

The CIA has long been on the receiving end of harsh rebukes from Congress — on intelligence failures leading up to the war in Iraq, on secret prisons abroad and on the harsh interrogation techniques used on terrorism suspects. But with the release of records showing that it briefed members of Congress along the way, the CIA has effectively put lawmakers on the defensive.

Intelligence officials insist it wasn’t intentional and have not taken responsibility for publicly releasing the documents.


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22439.html

[WhiskeyGirl]

What is torture?

Is it the time it takes to make a decision?  Do I stay and burn to death?  Or, do I jump out of a window to my death?  What does it feel like to free fall from a burning skyscraper?

I wonder - How many in total jumped to their death in September?  How many decided to stay and burn?  How many tried to call home - all circuits were busy? 

How many were incinerated by flames?  How many lingered and endured a painful death?  How many waited an eternity for death?  How many died waiting for someone to come and help?  How many never realized they perished in what was for others, just the wink of an eye?

When I think of torture, I will always think of those people jumping out of windows.  I will think of the horror of their death, the horror of those on the airplanes, and the horror of those waiting for loved ones to phone home.

I watched the horror 24/7 on my TV.  I wonder how many billions around the world watched the horror. 

Someone thinks the CIA is out to get them?  Maybe they should worry more about the people who hijack planes and crash them into buildings.

jmho

[WhiskeyGirl]

I watched the torture on TV.  I waited and watched my TV for the news.  I watched as thousands fled the city on foot.  I waited in the following days for more 'man made destruction'.

I lived through a time when a few Americans showed the angry and ugly side of their being.  It wasn't an easy thing for Muslims in this country.

Where is the outrage for the thousands that lost their lives?  For the millions that watched the torture on TV?  Watched human being jump to their death?

Someone thinks the CIA is out to get them?  Where were they in September?

[Toler]

WG, I haven't seen accusations that the released documents have been falsified, have you? Seems the dems
protesteth too much?
If they hadn't politicized interrogation procedures, 'torture', used it as and election wedge and since then to demonize individuals...they wouldn't be in the mess they are now. They got caught and will, hopefully reap what they sowed.

[Toler]

Speaker Steny Hoyer in the offing?


Source: Aide told Pelosi waterboarding had been used

Source says Nancy Pelosi was told by intelligence officer of waterboarding

The source also said because she wasn't personally briefed, Pelosi didn't object

She did support letter voicing concern about waterboarding, source says

Pelosi has been previously adamant she didn't know waterboarding had been used




A source close to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now confirms that Pelosi was told in February 2003 by her intelligence aide, Michael Sheehy, that waterboarding was actually used on CIA detainee Abu Zubaydah. ...

This appears to contradict Pelosi's account that she was never told waterboarding actually happened, only that the administration was considering using it....

Some Republicans have called for Pelosi to testify at congressional hearings.

The number two House Democrat -- Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland -- said Tuesday, "I think the facts need to get out" regarding what members of Congress had been told about harsh interrogations.

But when asked whether Pelosi testifying would be appropriate, Hoyer did not directly answer the question, saying, "The issue is what was done. If you don't have the facts pounded on the table, they (Republicans) are pounding on the table, or they are pounding on Speaker Pelosi. Take your pick. But they are doing so as a distraction, as a distraction from what was done in this case."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


QUOTE Source says Nancy Pelosi was told by intelligence officer of waterboarding

The source also said because she wasn't personally briefed, Pelosi didn't object QUOTE

Boy, semantics or what, she was 'told' but not personally 'briefed'?

[Toler]

Forgot link, sorry. 

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/12/pelosi.waterboarding/

[WhiskeyGirl]

WG, I haven't seen accusations that the released documents have been falsified, have you? Seems the dems
protesteth too much?
If they hadn't politicized interrogation procedures, 'torture', used it as and election wedge and since then to demonize individuals...they wouldn't be in the mess they are now. They got caught and will, hopefully reap what they sowed.

I am against violence. 

Welcome to the new America.  The government picks and chooses winners in a new economy based on political monopoly.  If you are wealthy in the favored class, you will become wealthier.  If you are poor or in the non-favored class, you will become poorer.

The new government demonizes those that are inconvenient, unless one of their own gets caught in the drift net.

Nancy is of an age with John McCain.  I believe these same kind of people alluded to senility, Depends, and other things to discredit his campaign.  Why don't these apply to Nancy?  Isn't she third in line to be president?  Should someone 'like' that be president?

Same with the 'shadow party' - I believe some of them are of an age with John McCain or older - leftovers from Hitlers generation.

jmho

[Slogger]

The CIA is merely defending against the Democrat accusations.  What were the Democrats thinking . . . accuse a previous Administration and it would never settle back down to the Democrats in the future?  Not sound reasoning.

Sauce for the goose will result in sauce for the gander . . . every time.

Ms. Pelosi got sauce splashed all over herself.  She should have been more careful about tossing while in a wind tunnel.

Imo, the initial accusations were hurled hoping that CIA would be prevented from releasing sufficient documents to defend itself.  Wrong!

I want to see the documents about information learned.