Karl Rove Proud Of Waterboarding

Former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice and Karl Rove

Karl Rove, an adviser of former U.S. President, George W. Bush, stated to the press today, he is proud of the torture technique known as waterboarding (simulated drowning), which was used on a number of terrorist suspects.

He is unwise to make such a proclamation, as he is boasting of violating the Geneva Conventions, which the United States signed and is subject to, under international law. It sends a terrible message to the world that is already mistrustful of the U.S. government.

Karl Rove 'proud' of waterboarding

3/12/10 11:51 AM EST - Former Bush White House adviser Karl Rove is 'proud' that American interrogators used waterboarding to extract information from suspected terrorists.

Asked in an interview Thursday with the BBC if he was proud of weatherboarding and other “enhanced interrogation” techniques approved by the Bush White House, Rove said, “Yes, I'm proud that we kept the world safer than it was, by the use of these techniques.”...

http://www.politico.com

Nancy Pelosi Outed On Lying About C.I.A.

Nancy Pelosi

According to documents released under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, Congressional House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has been caught in a lie, as she previously stated she did not know about former President George W. Bush's torture program.

According to the Freedom of Information Act documents obtained by the Judicial Watch, via a lawsuit, "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who previously denied she was briefed by the CIA on the use of these techniques, is specifically referenced in a briefing that took place on April 24, 2002, regarding the 'ongoing interrogations of Abu Zubaydah.' Zubaydah had been subjected to the enhanced interrogation techniques." In other words, she lied and knew about it the whole time.

U.S. President Barack Obama

President Obama is also being slammed for hiding the incriminating F.O.I.A. documents, as Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton stated, "It is unfortunate that it took a federal court order to force the Obama administration to release these documents"

There's that lack of transparency again. I'm very disappointed in you, Mr. Obama. One expects such conduct from Bush, as it's right up his alley. However, it's very disheartening seeing it come from you.

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Judicial Watch Obtains Documents Regarding Congressional CIA "Torture Briefings"

CIA Briefed At least 68 Members of Congress on "Enhanced Interrogation Techniques" Between 2001 and 2007
Contact Information: Press Office 202-646-5172, ext 305

Washington, DC -- February 23, 2010

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has received the first batch of documents from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) regarding congressional "Torture Briefings." The CIA produced the documents pursuant to a previous court order in Judicial Watch's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the CIA (Judicial Watch v. Central Intelligence Agency, Case: 1:09-cv-01352). The court order stipulates that documents pertaining to congressional briefings on "enhanced interrogation techniques" must be provided to Judicial Watch by April 15. Additional documents are forthcoming.

According to the documents, previously marked "Top Secret," between 2001 and 2007, the CIA briefed at least 68 members of Congress on the CIA interrogation program, including so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques." The documents include the dates of all congressional briefings and, in some cases, the members of Congress in attendance and the specific subjects discussed. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who previously denied she was briefed by the CIA on the use of these techniques, is specifically referenced in a briefing that took place on April 24, 2002, regarding the "ongoing interrogations of Abu Zubaydah." Zubaydah had been subjected to the enhanced interrogation techniques.

Judicial Watch previously obtained documents from former Vice President Cheney's office in a separate lawsuit that detail the effectiveness of "enhanced interrogation techniques." According to a June 1, 2005, CIA report entitled, Detainee Reporting Pivotal for the War Against Al-Qa'ida, "Detainee reporting accounts for more than half of all HUMINT reporting on al-Qa'ida since the program began..." Interestingly, this fact was omitted in later versions of the report obtained by Judicial Watch. All versions, however, conclude: "One of the gains to detaining the additional terrorists has been the thwarting of a number of al-Qa'ida operations in the United States and overseas."

Despite the apparent effectiveness of "enhanced interrogation techniques," the federal government suspended their use in 2005 by passing the Detainee Treatment Act. President Obama officially banned the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" during his first week in office in January 2009. Two months later, in March 2009, President Obama overruled objections from national security officials and released documents detailing the government's enhanced interrogation program (the so-called "torture" memos). However, President Obama initially withheld information detailing the results of this program, including alleged terrorist plots that the program prevented.

Moreover, according to an April 2009 CNN report, President Obama's Intelligence Director, retired Admiral Dennis Blair, told colleagues in an April 16 memo on the subject of "enhanced interrogation techniques," that "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." This sentence was omitted from a version of the memo released by Blair's office to the press.

"It is unfortunate that it took a federal court order to force the Obama administration to release these documents," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "These documents indicate that members of Congress approved of and were well aware of the use of these enhanced interrogation techniques and their lifesaving value. It is disturbing that we no longer use interrogation techniques that have demonstrably stopped terrorist attacks and saved American lives. The Obama administration has made this country less safe by its mishandling of the enhanced interrogation program."

http://www.judicialwatch.org

FBI Director Mueller Rebuffed In Pakistan

Robert S. Mueller

FBI Director and resident racist, Robert S. Mueller, was rebuffed in the Middle East when his request for access to terror suspect, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, was denied by the government of Pakistan. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Why are you even over there, after you brought them all that bad international publicity, for torturing 5 Muslim-Americans that went to Pakistan to allegedly wage Jihad.

There are internationally accepted protocols for interrogating terrorist suspects. They should not have been tortured, as you Mr. Mueller, ordered conduct that blackened the U.S. government's name in the world...again, via violating the Geneva Conventions and international human rights treaties, in what has become a habit for you.

Pakistan said to deny FBI Baradar request

Published: Feb. 25, 2010 at 1:05 AM - ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- The Pakistani government turned down an FBI request to hand over captured Afghan Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, sources told Dawn newspaper.

Mullah Baradar -- a top Taliban military commander and the group's No. 2 after Taliban chief and founder Mullah Muhammad Omar -- was captured this month in Karachi in a joint U.S.-Pakistani intelligence operation.

The handover request was made by FBI Director Robert Mueller during meetings with officials of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, Dawn reported, citing sources...

http://www.upi.com

British Government To Release CIA FOIA Documents

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown

An astute British judge has ordered the release of U.K. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) documents the Labour Party sought to hide to protect the C.I.A., who broke international law. It is in relation to requests for government documents on the rendition and torture of a Muslim Ethiopian, who resides in Britain.

The Bush administration had threaten to sever all intelligence ties with Britain, its top ally, if the documents were disclosed. It's this type of small minded, with emphasis on small minded, thinking that got the Bush administration into so much trouble around the world. Threatening and bullying people into submitting to Bush's will in blatant wrongdoing was ungodly and evil.

The world already knows Bush renditioned people and had them severely tortured in his madness that violated the Geneva Conventions. The Labour Party should not have gone along with it. Ditto for the other world governments that facilitated it in their nations.

Mr. Bush and all involved should hope one day someone doesn't do the same to their adult children, as they did to other people's grown children, who were not even terrorists. People were snatched off the streets of the world, smuggled from the nations they live in and tortured for information they did not have, only to be released later scarred and emotionally destroyed. That's just as bad as terrorism.

Side Bar: Severing ties with Britain would only serve to hurt America. While the C.I.A. is competent, albeit inhumane, America's first line of defense against terrorism is the F.B.I. and while there are intelligent agents in the organization, the Bureau's director is as dumb as rocks and sorely lacking common sense. MI5 and MI6 has pertinent information on Londonistan and their operatives in the Middle East, who seek to harm Britain and America.

Government forced to publish U.S. torture allegations

The government lost a legal battle on Wednesday to prevent the disclosure of secret U.S. intelligence material relating to allegations of "cruel and inhuman" treatment involving the CIA.

London's Court of Appeal rejected a request by British Foreign Secretary David Miliband to prevent senior judges from disclosing claims that former Guantanamo Bay detainee Binyam Mohamed had been shackled and subjected to sleep deprivation and threats while in U.S. custody.

The office of Dennis Blair, U.S. director of national intelligence, issued a statement saying the British court's decision "to release classified information provided by the United States is not helpful, and we deeply regret it."

"The protection of confidential information is essential to strong, effective security and intelligence cooperation among allies," the statement said. It indicated the ruling would create "challenges" but the two countries would "remain united in our efforts to fight against violent extremist groups."

Miliband had argued that full disclosure of the redacted claims might make the United States less willing to share intelligence and thus prejudice Britain's national security.

Recent events showed the importance of sharing intelligence, and the U.S. authorities were concerned about the release of such material, he told parliament, adding that he was working with U.S. officials to ensure bilateral ties were not damaged.

Mohamed, an Ethiopian national and British resident, was arrested in Pakistan in April 2002. He says he was flown to Morocco on a CIA plane and held for 18 months, during which he says he was repeatedly tortured, including having his penis cut with a knife. Morocco has denied holding him.

He was transferred to Afghanistan in 2004 and later moved to Guantanamo Bay, U.S. authorities have said. He was never charged and returned to Britain in February 2009...

But last October, two High Court judges ruled there was "an overwhelming public interest" in releasing the details, a decision the Appeal Court upheld Wednesday...

http://uk.news.yahoo.com

FBI Accused Of Torturing Muslims In Pakistan

Video: Americans Held in Pakistan Allege FBI Abuse

The FBI has been accused of torturing 5 American citizens that went to Pakistan to allegedly become terrorists. As they were driven through the streets of Pakistan, one threw a note out the window and yelled they are being tortured by the U.S. FBI and other officials.

FBI Director Robert S. Mueller

The FBI is not above board in such matters, contrary to what they would like the public to believe. As stated on this website one month ago regarding the FBI, "What's worse is there is so much more they are hiding from the public, regarding the atrocities they've committed, that make no mistake, will become public knowledge."

By the way, don't think Mueller is above renditioning anyone, as he likes to pretend for the cameras. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Pakistan: Note From 5 American Muslims in Custody Claims Torture

Published: February 3, 2010 - Five American Muslims in custody in Sargodha threw a handwritten note to reporters from a police vehicle while on their way to a court hearing on Tuesday, stating: “Since our arrest, the U.S.A., F.B.I., and Pakistani police have tortured us,” according to their representative, Khalid Khawaja. A Pakistani relative of one of the men also claimed that the police had threatened to give them electric shocks...

http://www.nytimes.com