Liar, Liar
Pants on fire. CIA reports Pelosi was briefed on the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” on Abu Zubaydah in 2002. Last month, the House Speaker claimed that as a member of the House Intel Committee she was only informed of the legal opinions, to explain why she raised no objections at the time. Turns out she’s not only a gutless hypocrite, she’s a big fat liar. ABC:
ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was briefed on the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” on terrorist suspect Abu Zubaydah in September 2002, according to a report prepared by the Director of National Intelligence’s office and obtained by ABC News.
The report, submitted to the Senate Intelligence Committee and other Capitol Hill officials Wednesday, appears to contradict Pelosi’s statement last month that she was never told about the use of waterboarding or other special interrogation tactics. Instead, she has said, she was told only that the Bush administration had legal opinions that would have supported the use of such techniques.
The report details a Sept. 4, 2002 meeting between intelligence officials and Pelosi, then-House intelligence committee chairman Porter Goss, and two aides. At the time, Pelosi was the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee.
The meeting is described as a “Briefing on EITs including use of EITs on Abu Zubaydah, background on authorities, and a description of particular EITs that had been employed.”
EITs stand for “enhanced interrogation techniques,” a classification of special interrogation tactics that includes waterboarding.
Pelosi, D-Calif., sharply disputed suggestions last month that she had been told about waterboarding having taken place.
“In that or any other briefing . . . we were not, and I repeat, were not told that waterboarding or any of these other enhanced interrogation techniques were used,” Pelosi said at a news conference in April. “What they did tell us is that they had some legislative counsel . . . opinions that they could be used, but not that they would.”
…
According to the interrogation memos released last month by the Obama administration, Abu Zubaydah was waterboarded 83 times in August 2002.
UPDATE: The report also details dozens of other meetings with members of Congress — though not with Pelosi present — where the use of waterboarding and other interrogation techniques was described.
OK, I think we’re ready to start those torture prosecutions.
HotAir with a better idea:
Since all it takes to escape the left’s wrath on issues like torture or extending the war in Afghanistan or quadrupling the size of a deficit they claimed to care about under Bush is calling yourself a Democrat, why not just call ourselves Democrats from now on? We get to keep all the same policies we have now and avail ourselves of the Absolute Moral Authority that comes with claiming the mantle of enlightenment. Show of hands: How many newly minted Blue Dogs here want to see Gitmo stay open?
Interesting. Seeing as the GOP is on life support, how about taking over the other team? How hard could it be. You know they’re all about the surrendering. It could be a sort of zombie nightmare for them. Could be fun.
Malkin, with some flashback liar vid, cruelly notes the blinking.
Gateway a little optimistically thinks Pelosi is done. I dunno, if raging hypocrisy and lies were any barrier to Dem leadership …
Powerline: Pelosi tortures the truth! You know, I’m beginning to think the only thing that would get actionable information out of her is a good dunking. Fortunately, the availability of other sources of intelligence render that unnecessary.
Andrew Sullivan, “This rot is not just Republican.” Hmm. Anyone else sense a disillusionment and a rapid repositioning coming on?
Attackerman at FireDogLake (what the heck is a FireDogLake anyway? Sounds all fiery, yet damp … ) “Round them all up!” A-man wants the Truth Commission now! To save this nation we must destroy it! I dunno, that sounds like it would be a little to amenable to political interference, big whupdidoo about some people, not so much about others. I prefer a special prosecutor, one Crimes Against Humanity charge fits all. A big fat show trial just like Nuremburg, with Bush, Cheney, Pelosi, etal, all in the dock together. Probably should throw in Clinton, Kerry, all the people who were big on fighting terrorism and Saddam before they weren’t. It’s all part of the same Bush-lied thing.
But I commend those lefties for weighing in. The rest of them appear to have scurried under rocks. Looking around, trying to find a little indignation. Crickets.
Here we go, Balloon Juice: Tut tut. I like the tags. It’s “Republican crime,” but it’s “Democratic stupidity.” They’re all “Assholes.” Interesting. The former GWOT enthusiast/university communications instructor known as John Cole, disgusted with the GOP “crime syndicate,” decided he preferred the company of stupid assholes. I’m increasingly fond of the stupid assholes myself. Never stop being you!
Ha. Maguire pantses Pelosi apologist Plum Line’s Greg Sargent. Same wedgie catches Kos.
Moe Lane gets righteous on the anti-war left. Sorry, Moe. Waste of time. We’re talking about people who bought Kerry and Clinton as anti-war crusaders.
A last word from Reynolds: “Now … it can be allowed to die.” Are you kidding? The fun’s just beginning.
Or not. As Dan at Protein Wisdom noted, Obama signalled at the 100-day mark that true to Dem form, he wants it both ways … no prosecutions but it is torture. Then again, who cares what Obama thinks? He’s only the president. He says it’s up to Congress and the Attorney General.
Related, not so different, HuffPo: Obama to Fire His first Gay Arab Linguist
Topics: GWOT, hated Crusaders, pols
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 7:48 am on Friday, May 8, 2009
11 Responses to “Liar, Liar”
Leave a Reply
Trackback URLYou must be logged in to post a comment.
May 8th, 2009 at 9:35 am
[...] [UPDATE]: It’s all about speaking truth to processed power-substitute, Jules. [...]
May 8th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
We really do need a truth in advertising law for our politicos.
The liars lie like lying scumbags at the drop of a hat. As politicos, they’re worth less than nothing, a net negative. Anyone who trusts a word that comes out of a politicos mouth these days is an idiot. That goes for both “sides” of the cultural gulch.
Power without accountability or responsibility. Only the corrupt would pursue such.
May 8th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Then again, who cares what Obama thinks? He’s only the worst president we’ve ever had.
There. Fixed that for you.
May 8th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
[...] Jules Crittenden comments. “OK, I think we’re ready to start those torture [...]
May 8th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
“what the heck is a FireDogLake anyway? Sounds all fiery, yet damp … ”
and fleas… damp fleas.
May 8th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
I don’t think the GOP is done, and stuff like this is why. They can always count on people like Pelosi to come through for them.
May 9th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
[...] it be put into a better phrase for Pelosi’s actions than that of Jules Crittenden, “Liar, liar, pants on [...]
May 10th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
[...] Jules Crittenden provides a good roundup of unfriendly commentary, and Tom Maguire disposes of lame apologetics on behalf of [...]
May 10th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
[...] Jules Crittenden offers mature commentary on this [...]
May 11th, 2009 at 8:52 am
[...] Meanwhile, it’s occurring to more and more people that the administration’s attempt to investigate only the White House legal advisors who wrote opinions regarding the enhanced interrogation techniques used by the CIA in the wake of 9-11 has something to do with covering of asses, as it becomes clearer and clearer from memos that Nan Pelosi and many others in Congress were briefed multiple times about enhanced interrogation techniques. I wrote about it, here, and Jules Crittenden has a great round-up about it, here. [...]
May 11th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
[...] Jules Crittenden has a bunch of links. [...]