House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has continued her effort to explain past statements on torture and her failure to act to stop a war crime after she was briefed on the torture program. After being contradicted by both documents and one of her aides, Pelosi has now accused CIA officials misleading her in 2002.
While clearly flustered in the press conference, Pelosi continues to maintain that she was briefed on such techniques only once — in September 2002 — and that she was only told that the Administration has established that it could start to use waterboarding, a well-known form of torture. She said that in February 2003 she was only told by her staffer that the Republican chairman and the new Democratic ranking member of the Intelligence Committee had been briefed on the use of enhanced interrogation techniques. That sounds like confirmation of torture to me. She added “I’ve dealt with our intelligence professionals for the last 3½ years on an almost daily basis.” Hmmm, after the weapons of mass destruction, the unlawful surveillance, the subsequent unlawful surveillance (after congressional intervention), and other Bush scandals, Pelosi saw no reason not to accept the legal and factual assertions of the agency that she was supposedly overseeing. This dovetails with Pelosi’s view that she had to accept the Bush Administration’s assurance that torture was lawful.
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She did add: “I unequivocally oppose the use of torture.” However, she also blocked any effort to investigate torture during the Bush Administration or any effort to impeachment on the basis of war crimes because she insisted that she knew of no evidence to support such allegations.
By the way, Pelosi was protected by the Speech and Debate Clause and could not have been prosecuted for going to the House floor and saying that she believed that the Administration was committing a possible war crime. Moreover, it is simply not true that she was barred for taken other forms of action. She did not have to go to Adelphi to the answer on waterboarding. A simple google search would have revealed a couple hundred site discussing its status as torture and a war crime.
Finally, if Pelosi believes that she was intentionally misled, she should call of a special prosecutor. After all, giving knowingly giving false information to Congress is a crime under 18 U.S.C. 1001(c):
(c) With respect to any matter within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch, subsection (a) shall apply only to—
(1) administrative matters, including a claim for payment, a matter related to the procurement of property or services, personnel or employment practices, or support services, or a document required by law, rule, or regulation to be submitted to the Congress or any office or officer within the legislative branch; or
(2) any investigation or review, conducted pursuant to the authority of any committee, subcommittee, commission or office of the Congress, consistent with applicable rules of the House or Senate.
Yet, the most she is willing to do is call for another 9-11 Commission — and not a special prosecutor. The value of the commission is obvious. The 9-11 Commission was filled with reliable democrats and republicans who immediately declared that they would not pursue individuals or assign individual blame. It has been ridiculed for its effort to protect leading figures from blame and leaving massive holes in its investigation.
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rcampbell, it seems that you never served in the military and seem to be anti-military. I wonder if I will ever see a day when people refuse to go into the military because of anti-military folks like you. Look, you don’t get it and that is obvious. I don’t support torture, but I do understand the situation a soldier is dealing with. I also understand that they are mentally harmed when they have to do things like this. Many of the soldiers get out with Post Tramatic Syndrome. Did you ever wonder why.
I agree with Bron98 about the abortion thing. I don’t think the Federal Government should be regulating abotion at all, nor marriage, nor health care, nor private businesses, nor many other things. The States should be able to make laws pertaining to this accordingly.
As far as torture, murder and such, you have abortion, which is wrong. You have people killing each other every day for a variety of reasons, You have Christians dying because of their faith (not that they did anything wrong, really).
Until people recognize that our politians are liars and corrupt, things like torture are going to continue to happen. I’m sorry, but regardless of the party affiliation, or who is president, this will continue to happen.
Liberals are ruining America.
Well the Dems were stupid enough to fall for Obama the fraud. Now I guess they will believe Nancy the liar. Our gov. is a complete sham.
Bron,
She didn’t charge me. The heavy black stubble and basso voice turned me off.
Tea Party Girl,
Congratulations. You win the award for the most vapid post of the year. By the way, how come with Bush in the White House and Congress controlled for 6 years not a damn thing was done about abortion? The reason is that people like you were played for suckers by the Republicans, who while they talk differently, understand that abortion can’t be banned. What makes your vapidity intolerable though is that you’re a hypocrite and too stupid to know it. If you cared so much for baby’s then you would have supported politicians who wanted to ensure adequate care for children after they were born.
Tea Party Girl:
As much as I detest abortion, the federal government has no right to dictate morality. that is up to individuals. What the state giveth the state can also take away. Suppose you are able to convince enough people to make abortion illegal and then what? Now suppose in the future things change and the vote goes the other way but with the added twist that because we have national health care married couples are limited to 2 children, if they have another the government can compell the couple to have an abortion for the good of the state.
Governments are best left out of issues like abortion. The best way to eliminate abortion is to educate people that they are destroying life with potential and to offer adoption as an option.
And another thing, Rcampbell may be many things but definitely not stupid nor hypocritical.
Debra wrote:
“As far as the soldiers who carried out the orders of those in charge, they were just following orders”
What a bunch of self-serving BS. That issue (being a good Nazi and just following orders) was settled at the Neuremburg trials in the 1940’s. That is NO excuse. It also belies the reality that CIA interrogators are not E3 level draftees. These are intelligent, highly trained professionals who know quite well what is and what is not legal. They’ve used the bogus legal opinions as a convenient cover–precisely as it was designed by the DOJ’s CYA corp of lawyers.
“Really, it boils down to survival in the military for the individual soldiers”.
Yeah, whatever…….
“Isn’t there a point in one of Miller’s Leibowitz books where a character points out that the heretic is more reviled than the heathen?”
Gyges,
The last time I read “A Canticle for Liebowitz” was in the late 50’s, so I remember little. Perhaps I should do a re-read for curiosity’s sake.
In any event the quote is an apt one. From the Left comes the you’re never pure enough meme and from the Right comes the you’re a communist/fascist/traitor meme. When the kids got killed at Kent State I remember my most radical acquaintances reacted with shock and horror. Finally, tired with the drama I asked them what they expected of a government they had called fascist much before Nixon and all they could do was stare at me and no doubt begin to doubt my commitment to the cause.
mIKEs:
She charged you $5? I guess I got ripped off. She must have liked that sauve sophisticated look her protestations to the contrary.
Pelosi’s actions do matter because they are evidence of how bad the leadership of this country has gotten. This includes the current leaders as well. There is no doubt that many folks were involved. As far as the soldiers who carried out the orders of those in charge, they were just following orders. Unfortunately, they are caught in a catch 22. They are in a position where they pretty much have to do what they are told. Even if the charge for disobeying an order is dropped because the order is illegal, there is always other regulations that the soldier will be charged with and court martialed for, for example, conduct unbecoming of….. Many civilians that have never served the military don’t understand this fact. Really, it boils down to survival in the military for the individual soldiers.
rcampbell – You’re wrong. Torture is sucking a baby’s brains out of its head with a needle minutes before it is born, which liberals seem not to concern themselves with whatsoever. However, get a little water up a known killer terrorist’s nose, who is intent on killing innocent people again and again, and you become outraged and start screaming torture. Wow, I wish you would have taken Obama to task on partial birth abortions (murder) of an innocent child with no voice or rights, and who has not been a part of any terrorist act. Your hypocrisy and stupidity astound me!
Democrats & Liberals are all scoundrels, liars, cheats, and tax evaders.
Worse, they will not and don’t know how to defend this country.
Marylynn Cruise,
Yes I remember Steve fondly, he was great in bed and loved my baldness. I don’t use Rogaine because I love myself the way I am. Speaking about loving yourself, weren’t you the female impersonator, with a deep voice and heavy beard, that got arrested for doing lewd acts upon yourself in public? Didn’t the Judge dismiss the case when you pleaded that even with yourself you couldn’t achieve orgasm and were thus driven by frustration. As for being a “looser” as you so charmingly put it, I at least worked regularly all my life, rather than your job doing $5 lap dances at the Bada Bing Club. Some people never change.
I’m not defending Pelosi in the least, but why has this become only about her? What about the evildoers that ordered it and those that actually carried it out?
Dear Professor Turley,
I’ve been trying really hard not to use foul language on your blog. But I think I could use a theory of “attractive nuisance” when you post links to stories like this.
This woman is such an unappologetic wh_ _ _.
I don’t know which is worse; the neo-con chicken-hawks and their legions of moronic yes-men, or the milk-toast Democrats who at the end of the day, in an effort to avoid looking like wimps, expose what true chicken-sh _ _ s they really are. So that’s our choice chicken-hawk or moral chicken-sh _ _. Nazi or pansey. To quote “Walter” from “The Big Labowski” , “Say what you will about the tenants of National Socialism, at least it’s an ethos…”
If Bush, Chaney, and the rest of their vampire crew, really think the destruction they’ve done to the Constitution, and the bodies of the unknown number “disappeared” “enemy cobatants” is justified, then they are perhaps morally superior to Obama and Co. who pay lips service to the fact that our country has been committing war crimes but will not use any of the legal tools at their disposal to correct the fact.
Speaker Pelosi’s comments are irrelevant. The point is NOT whether SHE’s lying or the CIA lied. Nor is it whether torturing people got one shred of information. The POINT, the ONLY POINT is that the US was conducting illegal torture. Until the Democrats and Republicans agree that EVERYONE from Bush on down is subject to investigation and potential punishment for the war crime of CONDUCTING TORTURE–regardless of when they knew about it–this is all political theater with no meaning.
Hey Mike Spindell
Aren’t you a little old to be you! Man, you look like $hit. Maybe you should go back spending your time applying Rogaine to that chrome dome of yours. P.S. Your ex girlfriend Steve sends his regards looser…
Right up front……..With out question Speaker Pelosi is lying about the extent of her knowledge on the subject of enhanced interrogation conducted after 9/11.
That is upsetting enough but, what is more troubling is the preferential selection by citizenry of this nation to pick and choose who they believe without first finding out facts and then applying some critical thinking skills. The role that the various news media play is a dominate factor in this preferential selection of who may or may not be truthful.
So, while Speaker Pelosi is lying the News Medias are at best delinquent or complacent in searching out the facts and at worst purposefully deceptive. Either-Or, they are not rising to their prescribed position to provide information that is unbiased and based on facts.
Pelosi and the current News Medias need to go. They have and are violating the basic integrity standards of our nation.
Is that you Bernie Madoff?
Sally,
Just send me the routing number for your trust account as well as your account holding number and authorize 1, just one wire transfer from your account. Do’t worry about Mike S., I assure you I will treat him as gentle as I did you.
Hey if you can get anyone elses account number that works, just let me know. Maybe we can set up a internet solutions company for assisting account holders acting in good faith with the financial institution of their choosing. We can what do you say Liberate them of the evils.
We after all are doing G-ds work.
She is a liar. Why can’t she own up to it. Must be a big flaw in her personality. She should step down. Can’t trust a cronic liar.