Cheney Tried To Keep Secret Stuff Secret
It’s yet another a big scandal revolving around our Dark Lord Cheney, evil be his name. Maybe he didn’t want Congress to blab about it, or the New York Times to tell al-Qaeda about it. No word yet on what the big secret program was, though this, buried in the NYT article, is interesting:
Members of Congress have differed on the significance of the program, whose details remained secret and which even some Democrats have said was properly classified. Most of those interviewed, however, have said that it was an important activity that should have been disclosed to the intelligence committees.
Intelligence and Congressional officials have said the unidentified program did not involve the C.I.A. interrogation program and did not involve domestic intelligence activities. They have said the program was started by the counterterrorism center at the C.I.A. shortly after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but never became fully operational, involving planning and some training that took place off and on from 2001 until this year.
In the tense months after Sept. 11, when Bush administration officials believed new Qaeda attacks could occur at any moment, intelligence officials brainstormed about radical countermeasures. It was in that atmosphere that the unidentified program was devised and deliberately concealed from Congress, officials said.
Representative Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee, said last week that he believed Congress would have approved of the program only in the angry and panicky days after 9/11, on 9/12, he said, but not later, after fears and tempers had begun to cool.
One intelligence official, who would speak about the classified program only on condition of anonymity, said there was no resistance inside the C.I.A. to Mr. Panetta’s decision to end the program last month.
“Because this program never went fully operational and hadn’t been briefed as Panetta thought it should have been, his decision to kill it was neither difficult nor controversial,” the official said. “That’s worth remembering amid all the drama.”
Sounds like whatever it was, it never went anywhere.
Meanwhile, it’s worth noting as NYT does higher up:
The law requires the president to make sure the intelligence committees “are kept fully and currently informed of the intelligence activities of the United States, including any significant anticipated intelligence activity.” But the language of the statute, the amended National Security Act of 1947, leaves some leeway for judgment, saying such briefings should be done “to the extent consistent with due regard for the protection from unauthorized disclosure of classified information relating to sensitive intelligence sources and methods or other exceptionally sensitive matters.”
Sounds like, if they think Congress will blab, they don’t have to tell them. Speaking of the consequences of earnest, indignant blabbing, here’s Powerline on damage done by the New York Times, Part I and Part II.
The Cheney involvement of course cranks up the controversy. via Reynolds, more evidence of dastardly Bushism by the Obama admin. Absent Cheneyism, however, we can only assume the best of intentions. Looks like Obama will need all the good will we can give him, especially since it turns out war is hard. via Reuters: “Long way to go.” That’s the president talking about the Taliban, not shutting down Guantanamo, banning harsh interrogation methods, or ruling out indefinite detention and tribunals.
John Cole at Balloon-Juice is indignant no one’s been indicted yet.
I’m not sure what the point of Obama even having an agenda if they don’t go about holding people accountable for what they have done here. Otherwise, we’ll just be going through this again in the future.
Someone tell Cole it might be because Obama doesn’t want to push for indictments is because he doesn’t want to get indicted himself. Especially since he got on board with Bush’s GWOT or whatever they are calling these days. Then, there’s the question of whether you can indict someone for not breaking the law. Cole adds:
I’d also like to point out to everyone that Bill Clinton was impeached over a blowjob.
Thank God for that blow job. It kept America safe! For about the five minutes it took for his 22-year-old intern to administer it. No, hang on, wasn’t he still conducting foreign policy while been serviced?
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 12:21 pm on Sunday, July 12, 2009
10 Responses to “Cheney Tried To Keep Secret Stuff Secret”
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July 12th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
I just want to know who is higher up in the cabal. The Dark Lord Rove, or the Dark Lord Murdoch? (Or should that be Murdock?)
July 13th, 2009 at 12:22 am
Mr. Cole is wrong. Bill Clinton was impeached for perjuring himself in a civil rights case. After all, haven’t the feminists been nagging at us for years that sexual harassment is a civil rights issue? And perjury while testifying under oath to a court of law is a criminal offense.
Leftists like Mr. Cole want to try their political opponents for disagreements over polivy. That is a very unwise thing for them to do, likely to lead the US down the path towards baqnana republic status. But then leftists like Mr. Cole have no foresight.
Fatty,
Lord Rove, of course. Personally I doubt if Murdoch ranks higer than a 33rd degree Neocon.
July 13th, 2009 at 2:17 am
I’d also like to point out to everyone that Bill Clinton was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice.
July 13th, 2009 at 2:36 am
No, actually Clinton was impeached for just plain stupidity.
Oh, btw, the Obama plan is to keep throwing out these “distractions” as to take every body’s thoughts off of his failing policies.
That and what all of his czars are doing behind everybody’s back, including Congress.
Papa Ray
July 13th, 2009 at 6:09 am
I want everyone to know that the secret program does not involve:
(1) a telephone booth that can move, both through time and space
(2) a Klingon bird of prey with cloaking device
(3) orbital space cannon
(4) weather machine
Those are still secret. Don’t ask about them. My lips are sealed!
July 13th, 2009 at 7:50 am
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July 15th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Wron, it did involve Blackhawks. So you ain’t clear of this matter just yet.
July 22nd, 2009 at 3:44 am
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