Pelosi's Sin Of Omission

The Nation: Speaker's Silence On Waterboarding Clouds Image As Torture Opponent

(The Nation)  This column was written by Robert Scheer.

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When the CIA destroyed those prisoner interrogation videotapes, was it also destroying the truth about 9/11? After all, according to the 9/11 Commission Report, the basic narrative of what happened on that day - and the definition of the enemy in this war on terror that George W. Bush launched in response to the tragedy - comes from the CIA's account of what those prisoners told their torturers. The commission was never allowed to interview the prisoners, or speak with those who did, and was instead forced to rely on what the CIA was willing to relay.

On the matter of the existence of the tapes, we know the CIA lied, not only to the 9/11 Commission but to Congress as well. Given that the Bush Administration has for six years refused those prisoners any sort of public legal exposure, why should we believe what we've been told about what may turn out to be the most important transformative event in our nation's history? On the basis of what the CIA claimed the tortured prisoners said, President Bush launched a "Global War on Terrorism" (GWOT), an endless war that threatens to bankrupt our society both financially and morally.

How important to the 9/11 Commission Report were those "key witnesses"? Check out the disclaimer on Page 146 about the commission's sourcing of the main elements laid out in its narrative:

Chapters 5 and 7 rely heavily on information obtained from captured al Qaeda members.... Assessing the truth of statements by these witnesses...is challenging. Our access to them has been limited to the review of intelligence reports based on communications received from the locations where the actual interrogation took place. We submitted questions for use in the interrogations, but had no control over whether, when, or how questions of particular interest would be asked. Nor were we allowed to talk to the interrogators so that we could better judge the credibility of the detainees and clarify ambiguities in the reporting. We were told that our requests might disrupt the sensitive interrogation process.

Videos were made of those "sensitive" interrogations, which were accurately described as "torture" by one of the agents involved, John Kiriakou, in an interview with ABC News. Yet when the 9/11 Commission and federal judges specifically asked for such tapes, they were destroyed by the CIA, which then denied their existence.

Of course our President claims he knew nothing about this whitewash, and he may be speaking the truth, since plausible deniability seems to be the defining leadership style of our commander-in-chief. But what about those Congressional leaders who were briefed on the torture program as early as 2002? That includes Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi, who has specialized in heartfelt speeches condemning torturers in faraway places like China.

Pelosi press aide Brendan Daly told me that the Washington Post report on her CIA briefing was "overblown" because Pelosi, then the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, thought the techniques described, which the CIA insists included waterboarding, were merely planned and not yet in use. Pelosi claimed that "several months later" her successor as the ranking Democrat, Jane Harman, D-Calif., was advised that the techniques "had in fact been employed." Harman wrote a classified letter to the CIA in protest, and Pelosi "concurred." Neither went public with her concerns.

Harman told the Washington Post, "I was briefed, but the information was closely held to just the Gang of Four. I was not free to disclose anything." The "Gang of Four" is an insider reference to the top members of the House and Senate intelligence committees and not to the thugs who ran Mao's China during the Cultural Revolution.

Not only did the Congressional Gang of Four fail to inform the public about the use of torture by our government, but it also kept the 9/11 Commission in the dark. Pelosi testified before the commission on May 22, 2003, but uttered not a word of caution about the methods used. However, more than two years later, on November 16, 2005, Pelosi stated correctly that on the basis of her "many years on the intelligence committee," she knew that "the quality of intelligence that is collected by torture is...uncorroborated and it is worthless."

Having admired Pelosi for decades, I hope I am missing something here. If she and the others in the know have another version of these events it's time to come clean. As matters now stand, they not only concealed torture but, more significantly, they abetted the waterboarding of our democracy.

[frankbowers]

She sold the Us of A when she in order to be Speaker iof the house she would not impeach cheney or bush and she will stick to her wor regardless of what else she may say my question is how much did her and her husband receive for that? Frank Bowers

[runningralph]

aardbear says politics is Satan'' favorite game and politicians are his favorite minions. Perhaps he know a place where there are no politics or politicians. If he does he should keep the information to himself and go buy a one way ticket.

[runningralph]

random-radar says he is "opposed to a government that has the power to do violence". Idealistic. That would be wonderful if it was possible. But it''s not. A government that had no power to do violence would be instantly overrun by people the had that power. Without muscle a body can''t stand.

[bluestardad]

SHE IS BOUGHT BY AIPAC THE ISRAELI LOBBY GROUP...

DO THE RESEARCH OR SHUT UP!

[quatrops]

I''m reminded of those 33-1/3 rpm vinyls every time I see a post by mbcsmith, particularly those that had a scratch across the grooves and kept playing the same meaningless musical phrase over and over and over . . .

Obstructionists? He calls LIBERALS obstructionists? Would those be the same liberals who, with the support of Republicans passed several bills for kids health care only to have them vetoed by Bush? The same liberals whose majority efforts to pass meaningful and needed legislation have, time after time, been thwarted by Republican parliamentary tactics?

I''m not sure a lobotomy would help smith, but his caregivers might give it some thought. What''s there to lose?

[kiskis1]

Sunday is the day targeted by GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul''s supporters for another fundraising push.



So, I''ll be sending my money in on Sunday for the simple reason Ron Paul is an honest man among charlatans and power seekers. And he gives me hope when it is in short supply.

It is also fun to think of what a Paul administration would do if the establishment allowed him to get that far.

Hope, truth and justice are in short supply in what is now the United States. When they are offered, they should be grabbed and protected like the rare treasures they have become. Ron Paul offers those things.

Certainly it is another David and Goliath struggle, and the Davids have rarely won since the original face-off. But, that is why we have hope.

[quatrops]

I see the feces fixated commenters are on board again. What is it with this fascination with all things anal that is so appealing to so many. I find more of it on the right, but perhaps that''s my own prejudice. "Satan''s wrecktum" indeed, aardbear. I suppose you imagine that was really clever, when all it does is show you up as a perverted, sicko wimp.

But, yes, the article. It appears to me Pelosi has a lot to answer for. She''s beginning to look more like a politician than a legislator. Which is sad, but the whole congress is so polarized right now that I don''t expect much from any of them.

I see in today''s news that our new AG is having difficulty deciding whether or not waterboarding is torture. He says he needs "more time" ! ! My God! Is this another of Bush''s incompetent appointees?

For those of you that have already posted and indicated your approval of torture, I can only say I hope you are in the minority. I still believe the moral standards of the American people are a cut above that, regardless of their religious background.

How would I feel if a loved one were a victim of a terrorist? I don''t know. It''s quite possible I would respond with hatred, anger, vindictiveness, and a gut-level desire for retribution. But I regard those emotions as a weakness in the human condition, which is why I value a collective moral standard that will keep me from acting out that weakness.

Speaking of weakness, whatever happened to Bin Laden?

[random_radar]

"I dare to say that everyone would be for waterboarding if their families lives were on the line. Many lives have been saved by this tactic which does no lasting harm to the victim.

Posted by commonsence1 at 02:51 PM : Dec 14, 2007"

Okay, but if the government has the power to torture people to protect your family, they also have the power to torture your family if they don''t like you.

What kind of people like to use torture to promote their agenda? Not people I want to be ruled by. If you are their friends or let them get their way, then you will be left alone.

But what if they don''t like your religion or ethnicity or some other values you hold? You gave them power over you and you will suffer. All kinds of minorities have been oppressed, tortured, and killed over and over in history.

I am opposed to a government with the power to do violence because I am more afraid of institutional power than random terrorism. I know that many people have the opposite view, and many of them will be sorry.

[random_radar]

Torture is a necessary component of all despotic governments. A small group of people have to be tortured to keep the vast majority subjugated in fear. That''s why the government is glad to have an open debate about torture--they want to get the word out about what happens to anyone who opposes them.

It starts out small using disposable foreigners, but gradually expands to the citizenry. At first they torture the less desirable citizens that ordinary people are secretly glad to see "get what they deserve." After a while it expands to anyone who rocks the boat, and soon everyone knows someone who has been tortured.

By then the system is fully entrenched with a national network of goon squads, informants, interment camps, and gratuitous violence to keep the people terrorized. Oh, that''s right, I forgot to mention that torture is terrorism, but maybe you figured that out yourself?

[mbcsmith]

We need a Speaker who will stand up for the Constitution against the Fascists you support, Bushit!


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Posted by gkc99 at 04:29 PM : Dec 14, 2007

Yeah, you LIBS are really good at being obstructionists. Hey LIB, let''s have more hearings and try to pin something on Bush. I mean, that''s really all the LIBS have done for the past year, WITH NO SUCCESS I MIGHT ADD.

[gkc99]

"Many lives have been saved by this tactic which does no lasting harm to the victim." --Posted by commonsence1


So why don''t you volunteer for a demonstration, cockroach?

[gkc99]

"I guess that includes Pelosi who was briefed all along, as we now know. Interesting that her approval of these methods don''''t seem to raise your ire, but the opposing party does. Hmmmmm, interesting. "Posted by mbcsmith


You''ll get no objection from me to removing the useless Pelosi, who has clearly been bought off or otherwise silenced by the Neoconscum. We need a Speaker who will stand up for the Constitution against the Fascists you support, Bushit!

[hissteps4u]

Pelosi is enjoying the Top Democratic Job she has arisen to. She is a grandstanding wench who has not only lied about her knowledge but continues to and unfortunately her constituents are buying it hook line and sinker.

the Democrats are morally Bankrupt and devoid or any real understanding of the American people.

[mbcsmith]

Posted by rafterman1 at 10:08 AM : Dec 14, 2007

That was a brilliant retort...for a second grader. Thanks for proving my point.

[mbcsmith]

If Pelosi sinned, just what would you call it that Bu$hCo and the CIA have done?




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Posted by BareEmperor at 11:51 AM : Dec 14, 2007


Acted with the full support and knowledge of the LIB leader in the House.

[rushlimpdrug]

Lost my respect for Pullozzy.
Losing my respect for Demos having any ballz and any real guiding principles.

[bareemperor]

If Pelosi sinned, just what would you call it that Bu$hCo and the CIA have done?

[Razzl]

Pelosi and Reid have been great disappointments in their leadership roles, which is one reason why the Republican propaganda machine has been able to distract the political dialogue from Bush and Iraq to what Republican candidates think about Mormonism; the lesson of politics, the one that politicians fail to learn if they hadn''t learned it before they got into politics, is that blunt, direct, brutal honesty and moral clarity will always generate public respect and hold your position, while even the slightest vacillation casts you into the purgatory of doubt. Democrats must be unequivocally for or against whatever they believe in, must act unequivocally in Congress, and the public will choose them in every election forever more...

[klifton2-2009]

What has America, as a nation, become? from the occupant of the White House to the two Houses, it seems everyone is complicit in some form of deceit. Laws are re-written and re-interpreted to justify torture, invasion of privacy through wire-tapping, and God forbids, what else! The Republic has become a nation of high office rogues, rascals, sycophants, war profiteers, and downright criminals. Violence, ranging from schools, universities, malls, and home shootings is now a daily diet. Religious extremists are taking over the will of the public and everything seems like going to hell. For the Republic to survive, a fundamental change must be initiated and fast. Throw out the garbage, clean house, and the nation might yet have another chance at greatness. Look at the heap of manure in the White House. For it to be there for so long is an indictment of the will of the American public. America, shame on YOU!

[blazercoach1]

When liberals realize that Democrats take advantage of their emotions to get elected....then do NOTHING, maybe liberals will begin to use their minds when molding a platform.

Pelosi always knew what to SAY to get her base riled up...but typical of the Democrats in control now, she has no idea what to DO.

Go ahead angry, emotional libs....name one thing they''ve DONE besides try to give away earmarks TO OTHER DEMOCRATS to get them to try to vote to "bring the troops home". Couldn''t even do that....