MioMyo
2009-04-23 12:30:42 UTC
And that is the REST OF THE STORY which liberals don't want to talk about.
Furthermore that is the REST OF THE STORY which bamy redacted from the
interrogation memos previously released.
How open and honest of a guvment you got going there bamby...........
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30335592/
WASHINGTON - President Obama's national intelligence director told
colleagues in a private memo last week that the harsh interrogation
techniques banned by the White House did produce significant information
that helped the nation in its struggle with terrorists.
"High value information came from interrogations in which those methods were
used and provided a deeper understanding of the al Qa'ida organization that
was attacking this country," Adm. Dennis C. Blair, the intelligence
director, wrote in a memo to his staff last Thursday.
Admiral Blair sent his memo on the same day the administration publicly
released secret Bush administration legal memos authorizing the use of
interrogation methods that the Obama White House has deemed to be illegal
torture. Among other things, the Bush administration memos revealed that two
captured Qaeda operatives were subjected to a form of near-drowning known as
waterboarding a total of 266 times.
Admiral Blair's assessment that the interrogation methods did produce
important information was deleted from a condensed version of his memo
released to the media last Thursday. Also deleted was a line in which he
empathized with his predecessors who originally approved some of the harsh
tactics after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"I like to think I would not have approved those methods in the past," he
wrote, "but I do not fault those who made the decisions at that time, and I
will absolutely defend those who carried out the interrogations within the
orders they were given."
A spokeswoman for Admiral Blair said the lines were cut in the normal
editing process of shortening an internal memo into a media statement
emphasizing his concern that the public understand the context of the
decisions made in the past and the fact that they followed legal orders.
"The information gained from these techniques was valuable in some
instances, but there is no way of knowing whether the same information could
have been obtained through other means," Admiral Blair said in a written
statement issued last night. "The bottom line is these techniques have hurt
our image around the world, the damage they have done to our interests far
outweighed whatever benefit they gave us and they are not essential to our
national security."
Admiral Blair's private memo was provided by a critic of Mr. Obama's policy.
His assessment could bolster Bush administration veterans who argue that the
interrogations were an important tool in the battle against al Qaeda.
Gen. Michael V. Hayden, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency
under Mr. Bush, said on Fox News Sunday last weekend that "the use of these
techniques against these terrorists made us safer. It really did work."
Former Vice President Dick Cheney, in a separate interview with Fox,
endorsed that conclusion and said he has asked the C.I.A. to declassify
memos detailing the gains from the harsh interrogations.
Several news accounts, including one in the New York Times last week, have
quoted former intelligence officials saying the harsh interrogation of Abu
Zubaydah, a Qaeda operative who was waterboarded 83 times, did not produce
information that foiled terror plots. The Bush administration has long
argued that harsh questioning of Qaeda operatives like Zubaydah helped
prevent a planned attack on Los Angeles and cited passages in the memos
released last week to bolster that conclusion.
The White House would not address the question of whether the tactics have
been effective on Tuesday but fired back at Mr. Cheney. "We've had an at
least two-year policy disagreement with the vice president of the United
States," Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary. "That policy
disagreement is whether or not you can uphold the values in which this
country was founded at the same time that you protect the citizens that live
in that country."
Mr. Obama's team has cast doubt on the effectiveness of the harsh
interrogations, but in a visit to the C.I.A. this week, the president did
not directly question that. Instead, he said, that any sacrifice from
banning those tactics was worth it to uphold the nation's belief in rule of
law.
"I'm sure that sometimes it seems as if that means we're operating with one
hand tied behind our back or that those who would argue for a higher
standard are naïve," he said. "I understand that. You know, I watch the
cable shows once in a while."
But he added: "What makes the United States special, and what makes you
special, is precisely the fact that we are willing to uphold our values and
our ideals even when it's hard, not just when it's easy."
The assessment by Admiral Blair represents a shift for him since he took
office. When he was nominated for the position and appeared before the
Senate intelligence committee on Jan. 22, he said: "I believe strongly that
torture is not moral, legal or effective." But he declined to assess whether
the interrogation program under Mr. Bush had worked.
"Do you believe the C.I.A.'s interrogation detention program has been
effective?" Senator Christopher Bond, a Missouri Republican, asked him.
"I'll have to look into that more closely before I can give you a good
answer on that one," Admiral Blair answered.
Furthermore that is the REST OF THE STORY which bamy redacted from the
interrogation memos previously released.
How open and honest of a guvment you got going there bamby...........
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30335592/
WASHINGTON - President Obama's national intelligence director told
colleagues in a private memo last week that the harsh interrogation
techniques banned by the White House did produce significant information
that helped the nation in its struggle with terrorists.
"High value information came from interrogations in which those methods were
used and provided a deeper understanding of the al Qa'ida organization that
was attacking this country," Adm. Dennis C. Blair, the intelligence
director, wrote in a memo to his staff last Thursday.
Admiral Blair sent his memo on the same day the administration publicly
released secret Bush administration legal memos authorizing the use of
interrogation methods that the Obama White House has deemed to be illegal
torture. Among other things, the Bush administration memos revealed that two
captured Qaeda operatives were subjected to a form of near-drowning known as
waterboarding a total of 266 times.
Admiral Blair's assessment that the interrogation methods did produce
important information was deleted from a condensed version of his memo
released to the media last Thursday. Also deleted was a line in which he
empathized with his predecessors who originally approved some of the harsh
tactics after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"I like to think I would not have approved those methods in the past," he
wrote, "but I do not fault those who made the decisions at that time, and I
will absolutely defend those who carried out the interrogations within the
orders they were given."
A spokeswoman for Admiral Blair said the lines were cut in the normal
editing process of shortening an internal memo into a media statement
emphasizing his concern that the public understand the context of the
decisions made in the past and the fact that they followed legal orders.
"The information gained from these techniques was valuable in some
instances, but there is no way of knowing whether the same information could
have been obtained through other means," Admiral Blair said in a written
statement issued last night. "The bottom line is these techniques have hurt
our image around the world, the damage they have done to our interests far
outweighed whatever benefit they gave us and they are not essential to our
national security."
Admiral Blair's private memo was provided by a critic of Mr. Obama's policy.
His assessment could bolster Bush administration veterans who argue that the
interrogations were an important tool in the battle against al Qaeda.
Gen. Michael V. Hayden, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency
under Mr. Bush, said on Fox News Sunday last weekend that "the use of these
techniques against these terrorists made us safer. It really did work."
Former Vice President Dick Cheney, in a separate interview with Fox,
endorsed that conclusion and said he has asked the C.I.A. to declassify
memos detailing the gains from the harsh interrogations.
Several news accounts, including one in the New York Times last week, have
quoted former intelligence officials saying the harsh interrogation of Abu
Zubaydah, a Qaeda operative who was waterboarded 83 times, did not produce
information that foiled terror plots. The Bush administration has long
argued that harsh questioning of Qaeda operatives like Zubaydah helped
prevent a planned attack on Los Angeles and cited passages in the memos
released last week to bolster that conclusion.
The White House would not address the question of whether the tactics have
been effective on Tuesday but fired back at Mr. Cheney. "We've had an at
least two-year policy disagreement with the vice president of the United
States," Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary. "That policy
disagreement is whether or not you can uphold the values in which this
country was founded at the same time that you protect the citizens that live
in that country."
Mr. Obama's team has cast doubt on the effectiveness of the harsh
interrogations, but in a visit to the C.I.A. this week, the president did
not directly question that. Instead, he said, that any sacrifice from
banning those tactics was worth it to uphold the nation's belief in rule of
law.
"I'm sure that sometimes it seems as if that means we're operating with one
hand tied behind our back or that those who would argue for a higher
standard are naïve," he said. "I understand that. You know, I watch the
cable shows once in a while."
But he added: "What makes the United States special, and what makes you
special, is precisely the fact that we are willing to uphold our values and
our ideals even when it's hard, not just when it's easy."
The assessment by Admiral Blair represents a shift for him since he took
office. When he was nominated for the position and appeared before the
Senate intelligence committee on Jan. 22, he said: "I believe strongly that
torture is not moral, legal or effective." But he declined to assess whether
the interrogation program under Mr. Bush had worked.
"Do you believe the C.I.A.'s interrogation detention program has been
effective?" Senator Christopher Bond, a Missouri Republican, asked him.
"I'll have to look into that more closely before I can give you a good
answer on that one," Admiral Blair answered.