Panetta: No "Extraordinary Rendition"

Obama's Pick To Run Intelligence Agency Tells Senate We Will Not "Violate Our Human Values"

(AP)  The Obama administration will not conduct the kind of "extraordinary rendition" that the Bush administration allowed, CIA Director nominee Leon Panetta assured senators on Thursday.

Panetta told the Senate Intelligence Committee that President Barack Obama forbids what Panetta called "that kind of extraordinary rendition - when we send someone for the purpose of torture or actions by another country that violate our human values."

CIA Director Michael Hayden has said that the Bush administration moved secret prisoners between countries for interrogations and imprisonment, separate from the judicial system, fewer than 100 times.

Rendition has been used by U.S. presidents for several decades, and Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., said the Clinton administration used it 80 times. However, Panetta said the difference is whether the prisoner is transferred to another government for prosecution in its judicial system or for secret interrogations that may cross the line into torture.

"I think renditions where we return individuals to another country where they prosecute them under their laws, I think that is an appropriate use of rendition, Panetta said.

"Having said that, if we capture a high-value prisoner, I believe we have the right to hold that individual temporarily, to debrief that individual and to make sure that individual is properly incarcerated so we can maintain control over that individual," he said.

While the Obama administration is turning its back on some Bush administration practices, Panetta said there is no intention to hold CIA officers responsible for the policy they were told to carry out. CIA interrogators who used waterboarding or other harsh techniques against prisoners with the permission of the White House should not be prosecuted, he said.

"Those individuals ought not to be prosecuted or investigated if they acted pursuant to the law as presented by the attorney general," Panetta said.

The Bush White House approved CIA waterboarding, a form of simulated drowning, for three prisoners in 2002 and 2003. The CIA banned the practice internally in 2006. Obama has prohibited harsh interrogation techniques going forward.

But Panetta said if interrogators went beyond the methods they were told were legal, they should be investigated.

Panetta said he would come to the job with a list a questions he wants the CIA to be able to answer, including the location of Osama bin Laden, and when and where al Qaeda will next try to attack the United States.

"Our first responsibility is to prevent surprise," he said.

The former White House chief of staff under President Clinton and ex-congressman from California has much experience in government but little in intelligence gathering or analysis. He told the committee that he has asked former CIA chiefs- notably former President George H.W. Bush - how to compensate for that shortcoming.

"They all told me to listen carefully to the professionals at the agency but also to stay closely engaged with Congress," Panetta said. "I am a creature of Congress."

Panetta acknowledged he has little professional intelligence experience. But, he said: "I know Washington. I know how it works. I think I also know why it fails to work."

For intelligence expertise, however, he is retaining the top four officials now at the CIA, including Deputy Director Steven Kappes. He promised not to meddle in day-to-day intelligence operations.

"I anticipate focusing primarily on ensuring policy and procedure is handled correctly, rather than intervening personally in the details of operational planning or the production of individual pieces of analysis," he said. "But let me assure you, the decisions at the CIA will be mine."

In choosing Panetta, Obama passed over current and former CIA officials with impressive credentials. The other candidates had either worked in intelligence during the Bush administration's development of policies on interrogation and torture or earlier, during the months leading up to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Panetta is not expected to face major opposition in the Senate. If confirmed, he would assume control of the CIA just weeks after Obama made dramatic changes in the agency's interrogation and detention program, directing that secret prisons be closed and interrogations held to methods approved by the military.

Panetta is a strong supporter of Obama's rules.

"We either believe in the dignity of the individual, the rule of law, and the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment, or we don't. There is no middle ground," he wrote last year.

Panetta promised the committee that he would brief the entire House and Senate intelligence committees as much as possible, rather than just its top members. He said the Bush administration abused that practice.

"Too often critical issues were kept from this committee," he said.

[noirviolette]

BOYCOTT KELLOGG
In just my opinion I feel this situation regarding Michael Phelps
has gotten way out of line.I feel his only mistake was being where
some nosey person could get the pic and then sell it for a few bucks
or however they got it.If this was the worst thing anybody ever did
the world would be a much better place.So with that I am Boycotting
Kellogg and I''''''''m posting this on all sites and stories I visit in hope
others will Boycott and repost this who does not agree with all the
bad hype M.P. is getting.I do understand the sponsors view point,he
is in the public eye as a role model,but I hardly see this as a
condemning offense.

[blitzder]

You lieberals REALLY have nothing to say for your MESSiah!--Posted by repo_man_08 at 08:22 PM : Feb 05, 2009.

Your gods, the excrements known as Bush/Cheney did such a great job of destroying America, that we liberals now have to clean up. YOU had 8 years, why do you whine now, LOSER. Go climb another tree and scream liberal, sophead.

[kansas1946]

Obama''''s choices are very poor. His leadership questionble. There is no surprise here. But, of course, all you liberals had no problem voting this mess of a man in. LMAO


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by national4321 at 06:17 PM : Feb 05, 2009
*******************************

If you voted for Bush, then forgive us if we really don''t take your opinions seriously.

[kansas1946]

Obama''s Pick To Run Intelligence Agency Tells Senate We Will Not "Violate Our Human Values"
****************************************

H e l l, the Bush administration didn''t violate their "human values." They don''t have any to violate.

[tincup356]

LOL, you people still haven''t figured out,,,,,the two party system is only an illusion....government is a two headed monster,,,,,,and if ANY of you THINK you are being represented by your party,,,,,,SORRY the LOBBY DOLLAR owns them....just look at the bailouts ,,,,,every one who got money.......paid lobby dollars,,,to BOTH parties.

[ioweign]

Panetta should flush them all. Bush stacked his spies into the system. It needs to be cleansed.

Posted by george2221 at 05:03 PM : Feb 05, 2009

The Bush Regime had a difficult time recruiting for the CIA after they outed an agent...

[tincup356]

I wonder if his taxes are in order?

[ioweign]

DaVicar4

The Bushes were really into the CIA.

George H. W. Bush was a CIA director from 1975 to 1977.

Posted by george2221 at 05:15 PM : Feb 05, 2009

George W was into AWOL not CIA...

[likeitis5050]

That''''s right Pinhead,he tried and failed!!!!!!
he''''s a loser like YOU .


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by dthomas5010

And yet you''re still alive to verbally abuse anyone who disagrees with you. I''d say he fulfilled his duty. Seems to me the more we move toward the utopia Obama promises...the less tolerant liberals become toward anyone they assume did not vote for him. How are you any different than Bushies who fell lock-step into the ''if you aren''t with me...then you are a terrorist''?

[marshall65]

"your idiot blow hard Cliton let him get away," You''re not on kool aid, you''re drinking panther p#ss. Clinton could no more of gone after bin laden than you or I. The Republican Congress had his hands tied on the use of the military. The missile strike was his only option. And if GW and his gang were so sharp, why didn''t they nail bin laden right after inauguration day 2001? You are so full of bull.

[dsr57]

Now that he''s the CIA chief shouldn''t he be asking himself? How''s he just going to walk in and ask where osama is? That''s what he was appointed to find out

[inventagod2]

Mr. Panetta, bin Laden is a dead ex-CIA employee that the Bu$h family blamed 9/11 on. Any other questions?

Oh, and don''t ask about WHO planned and carried out 9/11, or we will have to... send you to ... Alaska.

[ajmarine111]

When will Iran have a nuclear weapon? How can it be deterred from getting one?





I thought they were just wanting to make electricity,.....what happened?

[gopisajoke]

Atleast the Democrats are looking for Bin Laden! The previous administration didn''t think it was "important", not a "priority". Stealing Iraq''s oil and selling it to us for $4.40/gal was "important" and a "priority" though. That''s what happens when we are led by a court appointed President instead of an elected one.

[likeitis5050]

Which way did they go? Duh...which way did they go?

[deathofusa]

Panetta is the wrong guy for this important job. Very poor choice. What was needed is someone with a police background and intelligence background.
------------------------------------------------------
Posted by sleepyric at 04:02 PM : Feb 05, 2009


Hey, but he''s got plenty of money.

[newfunkypres]

"I don''''t know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don''''t care. It''''s not that important. It''''s not our priority."
- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02

"I am truly not that concerned about him."
- G.W. Bush, repsonding to a question about bin Laden''''s whereabouts,
3/13/02 (The New American, 4/8/02)

[deathofusa]

And what''s he going to do about it? NOTHING!! Just like your typical democrat, he wants the answers but he will do nothing about it.

[smt451d]

CIA to Panetta: "P*ss-off, you d*ckless little cherry."

[walt1944-2009]

Leon Panetta has walked into his new job as CIA director with a list of questions. One of them is "Where is Osama Bin Laden?".

It is rumored that his employees at the CIA were confused as to who Osama Bin Laden was!!!! After all, the former-Great Emperor Bush II stopped thinking asbout him when he invaded Iraq illegally in 2003, so why think about him now?

Perhaps former-VP Darth Vader Cheney knows where he is, since he seems to be the only person who has so much money on his hands, he doesn''t have to think about losing his home, paying the heating bill, or what TV dinner he is "zapping" tonight. Wasn''t it the Vader who gave the unasked-for "advice" to Obama to always be vigilant because there are "terrrrrrorists" lurking behind every tree and beneath every rock?

HAIL OBAMA???