Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw)-Weekend Contributor
It is unfortunately not surprising that anything that the CIA does should be considered suspect. When the CIA recently came under fire for allegedly spying on Senate computers, no one, except the Senators who were spied on were surprised. Now that Director John Brennan has completed his internal “investigation” into the matter, the truth has come out. John Brennan says he and the CIA did nothing wrong!
“The outrageous whitewash issued Wednesday by the CIA panel John Brennan hand-picked to lead the investigation into his agency’s spying on Senate staffers is being taken seriously by the elite Washington media, which is solemnly reporting that officials have been “cleared” of any “wrongdoing“.
But what the report really does is provide yet more evidence of Brennan’s extraordinary impunity.
The panel concluded that CIA officials acted reasonably by scouring Senate computer drives in early 2014 when faced with a “potential security breach”. (That “breach” had allowed Senate staffers investigating CIA torture to access, more than three years earlier, a handful of documents Brennan didn’t want them to see.)
But the CIA also released a redacted version of the full report of an earlier investigation by the CIA’s somewhat more independent inspector general’s office. And between the two reports, it is now more clear than ever that Brennan was the prime mover behind a hugely inappropriate assault on the constitutional separation of powers, and continues to get away with it.” Reader Supported News
You may remember John Brennan. He was President Obama’s Advisor for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security prior to being nominated to head the CIA in 2009. During his 25 plus years with the CIA prior to being picked by Obama as his counterterrorism aid, Mr. Brennan was involved in and/or supported the CIA torture program.
As suggested earlier, it could be considered the height of hypocrisy for someone who at least supported the Torture program initiated by the Bush Administration, to not only lead the CIA but also handpick a board to review if the CIA had broken its own laws and possibly the law in spying on Senate computers over the release of the controversial torture report. Especially after the CIA had completed its own review earlier by its Inspector General, David B. Buckley that had stated that the agency employees had gone too far.
“After five CIA employees — two lawyers and three computer specialists — hacked into files and emails belonging to the Committee, Brennan confronted Sen. Feinstein and accused her Committee of breaching the CIA’s firewall and stealing the Panetta Review. CIA Inspector General David Buckley found his agency guilty of hacking into the Committee’s computers and admonished the five CIA employees.” Nation of Change
The Panetta Review was an investigation started by then CIA Director Leon Panetta into the CIA torture activities that was initiated about the time that Panetta first released documents to the Senate committee to investigate the CIA torture program.
“In 2009, former CIA Director Leon Panetta authorized access to millions of documents to then-Committee chairperson, Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Documenting the CIA’s Rendition, Detention, and Interrogation (RDI) program between the years 2001—2006, the reports gave a damning account of kidnapping, torture, and murder committed by CIA operatives. At the same time, Panetta ordered the CIA to conduct its own investigation into the documents, now referred to as the Panetta Review.
Over 1,000 pages in length, the Panetta Review found that the CIA had repeatedly overstated the value of intelligence gained through torture. Unbeknownst to CIA Director John Brennan, the Senate Intelligence Committee had access to the classified Panetta Review.” Nation of Change
The Panetta Review and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence report both confirm that the CIA torture program not only broke US laws, it even went farther than the Bush Administration had authorized. When the Senate report was released in December of last year, Mr. Brennan went so far as to suggest that any future efforts to institute another torture program would be up to policy makers!
“Indeed, when Brennan made his first public appearance after the Senate torture report came out, he was unbowed – in fact, actually appeared emboldened. (He also validated the worst fears of torture opponents by saying that the return of torture tactics was a matter for “future policymakers”.)’ Reader Supported News
To make matters worse, the new chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee is now demanding all copies of the legally released torture report be returned to the Senate Committee.
“Because the CIA has blocked the Panetta Review’s release under FOIA, Sen. Burr intends to return every copy to the agency in order to suppress the information contained within the inflammatory review. As the new Chairman of the Committee, Burr also wrote letters to the White House and other federal agencies insisting they return all copies of the roughly 6,900-page Senate report on the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program. Since executive branch agencies are obligated to respond to FOIA requests, Burr wants the copies of the torture report returned to Congress, which is not subject to such requests.” Nation of Change
Remind me again, why are we supposed to believe anything John Brennan or his CIA says? Maybe Mr. Brennan thinks he is the Wizard behind the curtain and no one can see his deception. However, I think Toto can see right through him!
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They have to do away with the CIA. Or, they have to declaw it into a benign government institution. Once a secret organization gets this much press, it is no longer secret and therefore of little or no use. Movies are made about the CIA. They get raked over the coals on a regular basis.
For a really effective secret service we need one of which no one knows anything, except the President, George Clooney, in the movie.
Issac
They have to do away with the CIA. Or, they have to declaw it into a benign government institution. Once a secret organization gets this much press, it is no longer secret and therefore of little or no use. Movies are made about the CIA. They get raked over the coals on a regular basis.
Really?
You support President Obama right and were proud when he captured the Osama? Right?
Perhaps you should do some digging and see how much history the CIA had to do with the actual war and ISI in Pakistan before you make a statement like that?
Who cares about a movie and the news. Since the Fairness Doctrine was revoked, we paid a high price for our free speech, now we have Hollywood Soap Operas instead of news.
I am sure you are familiar with the soap opera of Fox News as I am familiar with the soap opera of MSNBC. They have crawlers underneath opinionated blowhards on both shows. Take your pick of blowhards. I don’t watch them.
Canon, I understand your points. But, Reality isn’t a good standard of ideals to set for Humanity to achieve in the future, is it? Is the CIA excluded from those standards? Or above the Law? The Executive may think he is, but shouldn’t be.
To: barabajagal
Considering the origins of the CIA, why would anyone expect it to do less. It’s an arm of the Executive Branch and has actually served this country well in the tasks it has been given.
Odd for a clergy person to write this? Not at all. Do I agree with some of the tasks it has been given? No. But it does the bidding of the Executive Branch…no matter the person in that chair. Operation Phoenix in Vietnam…assassinations. Air America and special ops. Laser guided munitions taking out both confirmed and/or suspected combatants AND innocents with the signature of the Chief Executive.
The definition of “just war” does not fit in asymmetric warfare. Besides, if anybody thinks that any of this is new, they need to go back and spend time reading cave drawings. Technology has changed but not human nature.
I was confronted by a woman clergy who challenged my warfighter background. I asked her if she could kill a person. Oh no..she answered. The sequence of stepping up the threat finally got to my point…question…if a person was going to strip the skin off your granddaughter, would you kill him. “Well that just isn’t a possibility” and walked away.
I shot because I believed the people who fled the North for freedom, deserved to be defended…. I witnessed what the VC and NVA were capable of doing. Here’s one: a Saigon police motorcycle gas tank blew up and the cop was writhing in pain…he had been on it…imagine the stench and the primordial screems. Now knowing what the other side actually does drastically influenced my views of a lot of things. Simple really…rubber band holding a grenade’s spoon, gas dissolves band…get the picture?
Seeing the actual full video of the slow cutting off an innocent’s head, the slaughter of children, need more?
You’re correct…it takes a certain individual. But they are dedicated, and they do that to which they swore their lives. Life is extremely dirty out there. And it presents a very large conundrum for those of us dedicated to preaching the Gospel.
BTW the OSS in WWII against the Nazis was not pretty either. Neither were the bodies at Normandy, Okinawa, or Iwo Jima or the splattered bodies after jumping from the towers or the pieces picked up in Pennsylvania Notice how you never see them? That cop shot in Paris…blurred. the pictures of the bodies in the Paris office..not available. Careful of our sensibilities. And we punish a couple of soldiers for peeing on dead killers….yeah….shouldn’t have texted the pictures.. maybe should have blurred the streams???? Sensiblities. Young combat soldiers pumped after surviving a death match.
What’s it worth to stop the next “one”?
It does take a certain individual. I would want any of those grunts watching my back. BTW…ever ask what Valerie Plame did as an agent?
Barabajagal, sometimes I toss out ideas I have that I’ve found most people think are pretty radical, but which seem logical and right to me. Then I’m surprised and pleased to know there are a few others who agree with me, at least partially if not totally. When we share our opinions freely, I believe we all benefit, even when we aren’t perfectly aligned. Your view on the government officials not representing the People and big changes being needed is right on target. The whole world has become paranoid about terrorism, and the conflicts and wars seem to be escalating all the time. The CIA has accomplished a lot, some of it good and much of it bad as far as the effect they have had on other cultures. The only thing anyone who is not on the front lines can do is to calmly and emphatically express their objections to all the violence and hope that will have some influence on the leaders when enough people speak up.
Thank you, happypappies. I try to be respectful of others even when we disagree, and folks here seem to return that respect. The fate of the world doesn’t rest with the conclusions reached on this blog (which is a good thing because there rarely is any consensus), and the discussions often cause me to think about the ideas and viewpoints expressed. That’s fun to me. Getting too serious or taking offense would take the fun out of it quickly.
Washington DC = Nazi Berlin
I failed to mention that I am in favor of the closing of the CIA as well. I do not feel it is necessary for the safety of US citizens. I do not think the CIA pursues policies that the majority of US citizens support. Brennan is in a powerful position, but I do not think of him as the puppeteer. That is the problem, our government officials seem to be controlled by powerful outside interests, and are not trying to represent the majority of its citizens. I am not advocating revolution, no guarantee the change is for the better, but serious changes need to made quickly or this country and world will not be fit to occupy.
How easy it will be for someone to come along and make my statement to look like a terroristic threat. Erase a few lines, delete a word like “not.” That would never happen in our country right? It hasn’t happened has it?
We ask so much of the CIA. Then we rake them over the coals. Bless them for risking their lives for this country.
The CIA does not disclose much of its budget, number or location of employees, names of many of its employees, it’s operations, etc. It is very difficult to provide evidence that would hold up in a trial of illegal activities of the CIA or its employees. Tim Weiner wrote “Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA.” Many people & IMO it is the most complete and accurate history of the CIA. The book proves that methods used by the CIA include bribery, entrapment, coercion, financial destruction, imprisonment, and sponsored death. I think it takes a unique individual who would want to be the figure head.
I would never encourage any of my family members to serve this agency.
Tyger Gilbert
I am thinking you are an interesting person. I do try so hard not to let people and their pesty snit fits get to me and you have done an amazing job thus far.
Paul, I’m not crusading to change anyone’s mind here. I’m expressing my opinions, even when they’re stated in such a way that someone might possibly interpret them as facts, and I figure my hot air is worth about as much as everyone else’s. Now, if in that process, anyone feels I have made some egregious and erroneous claim, and feels it is important enough to them to contest it, then I feel it is incumbent upon them to do the necessary research to rebut my statements. I certainly will be happy to listen to (or read) what they have to say, and if presented in a cogent manner, even if they are just blowing smoke in reality, I may change my mind. That doesn’t happen too often, but if someone shows me I’m wrong, then I can admit my mistake, reverse my tune, and become right again. If something is really important, then we should try to agree on WHAT is right rather than making an issue over WHO is right about it anyway. Opinions are based upon subjective experiences, and are dependent upon the interpretation of those experiences and the value judgments of the person having the opinion. Having observed the insanity of humanity for more than half a century, I believe there are thousands of times more opinions in the world than there are people. Consequently, I don’t take too much as seriously as most people do, and I am cynical about most things that many hold sacrosanct and sacred. And while what I say may offend some folks, that’s not usually my intention, particularly with someone I consider a friendly neighbor in the Valley who often appears to have similar perspectives to mine.
Tyger – had you prefaced it as an opinion there would not have been a question, but the way it came out, it was like a statement of fact. However, now I will accept it as opinion. 🙂
>”yet more evidence of Brennan’s extraordinary impunity.”
Three guesses why.
Nah, Paul, you can do the research if you are really that interested. Probably do a far better job of it than I would. Thanks.
Tyger – when you make the claim it is incombant on you to back it up.
In some regard I actually have a bit of schadenfreude that these committee members were spied on. With Senator Feinstein being so quick to support domestic spying programs waged against the ordinary citizen and defending such practices she is outraged; OURAGED that a government agency would dare spy on her. Perhaps if the senator would multiply her sense of betrayal three hundred million times over she might appreciate what each of us in this country have been collectively subjected to by this government.
They created this surveillance monster and as predicted it is now beginning to assert itself and challenge its masters. So forgive me if I haven’t sympathy for these senators.
Darren – and if they do not think the NSA is not spying on their phones they are nuts. They were for it until they were against it.
Haha … I knew Inga wouldn’t be able to leave it at “Good job Walker.”
Tyger,
“Prairie Rose, the current president is not intimidated because he condones and encourages that type of behavior for anyone in the CIA. It’s representative of his whole style of government, the Constitution doesn’t mean anything to him.”
You have a point. I was trying to give him the benefit of a doubt since he is a family man and he did condemn torture prior to being elected (though, I’m cynical enough to believe his comments were politically motivated). CIA = contemporary Praetorian guard???
Prairie Rose, the current president is not intimidated because he condones and encourages that type of behavior for anyone in the CIA. It’s representative of his whole style of government, the Constitution doesn’t mean anything to him.
Tyger Gilbert,
“Most of CONgress is too intimidated to anything about it, either.”
Apparently presidents are also too intimidated to do anything about it. President Obama nominated Brennan twice to be CIA director.
“I cannot believe why anyone is surprised that the CIA was snooping.”
Not surprised. Aggravated that nothing substantive is being done to deal with it.
Paul, your comments to Rafflaw were not funny. It was rude disrespectful, nasty and pretty despicable. End of discussion with you.
Inga – you always dance to the same tune. Someday you will surprise us but I am not going to hang by my thumbs until it happens.