Dem.Reyes: "We don't want to be known for torturing but,,,keep the torturer and keep the policy"

[Robbien]

The House Intelligence Committee’s top Democrat said Tuesday he has recommended that President-elect Barack Obama keep the country’s current national intelligence director and CIA chief in place for some time to ensure continuity in U.S. intelligence programs during the transition to a new administration.

Intelligence Chairman Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, said he also recommended to Obama’s transition team that some parts of the CIA’s controversial alternative interrogation program should be allowed to continue. He declined to say what he specifically recommended, however....

“We don’t want to be known for torturing people. At the same time we don’t want to limit our ability to get information that’s vital and critical to our national security,” he added. “That’s where the new administration is going to have to decide what those parameters are, what those limitations are.”

Torture is now a recommended Democratic Party platform it appears.

[librechik]

1. Useless worm

we need a spine in that position. He's as bad as Salazar.

[Robbien]

2. Not so useless.

This is the advice being given to the President Elect by the leader of the Democratic Party on the committee for torture issues.

A worm, yes. But not useless. Dangerous and evil is more like it.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. Contact the worm HERE --

Let him know NO TORTURE, NO RENDITION, NO BEING HELD WITHOUT CHARGES:

DC Address:
The Honorable Silvestre Reyes
United States House of Representatives
2433 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-4316
DC Phone: [phone]
DC Fax: [phone]

District Office:
310 North Mesa, Suite 400
El Paso, TX 79901 Voice: 915-534-4400
FAX: [phone]


http://wwwc.house.gov/reyes/voice_your_opinion.asp

[Robbien]

5. Good idea. Thanks - n/t

[jwirr]

6. Unless you are from Texas you will not be able to email him. I think

that should be illegal if you hold a position that regards all of us.

[EFerrari]

4. Reyes is where intelligence oversight goes to die. n/t

[KoKo]

7. Wasn't it Pelosi who removed Jane Harmon giving her Chairmanship to Reyes?

At the time most of us here were not fans of Harmon...but Reyes has been a do nothing. Hard to know if he was the better replacement and why Nancy made the switch. :shrug:

[EFerrari]

8. Yep. And imho, Reyes is not a stupid do-nothing.

He actively buffers against oversight.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2007/12/10/MN16TR8MJ.DTL&o=0

[KoKo]

9. I must have mis-read your post #4 where you questioned Reyes...maybe

he really is a good guy? :shrug:

[EFerrari]

11. What I mean is, he's the ringer that prevents oversight

instead of facilitating it like he's supposed to.

[KoKo]

12. yes...I understand...he is

"the ringer." Okay...gottcha.. That's what I was trying to say...he's worse than Harmon but picked because we THOUGHT he was worse than Harmon...but he's the RINGER, as you say.

[noise]

10. Sickening

When is the CIA IG report (full version) going to be declassified? Or the 28 pages of the JI report which detail Saudi support for alHazmi and alMihdhar? Or the details of the July 10 urgent CIA briefing for Rice? Or the closed session testimony by the heads of the CIA and FBI Bin Laden units (Rich B. and Rod Middleton) who have never explained their conduct to the American public?

We are asked to simply trust government officials when they claim that illegal tactics are required to prevent terrorist attacks. Their justification is 9/11 yet they don't want the public to have a full understanding of 9/11.

Look at the lead up to 9/11. Tenet's CTC didn't tell the FBI that alHazmi and alMihdhar were in the US for 20 months! Even after the Cole attack in 10/2000 and a "system blinking red" threat period in the summer of 2001, Tenet's CTC continued to withhold the intel!

At NSA Hayden failed to get FISA warrants and/or notify the FBI so they could get the warrants in order to track al Qaeda operatives inside the US. Author James Bamford has put forth the idea that Hayden was overly sensitive to civil liberty violations. This makes no sense. The FISA court was set up to protect civil liberties.

How does such inexcusable conduct in the lead up to 9/11 translate to giving the very same officials vast illegal powers? That is absurd! Intel officials like Tenet and Hayden and politicians like Reyes are successful in promoting this police state garbage because so much information is not available to the public due to national security classification. If any of these officials are so bothered by adhering to the Geneva Conventions then they should quit and go work for Syrian intelligence.

[KoKo]

13. I know..thanks for the post...how long does this have to go on..

:shrug:

[MisterP]

14. *sob* why can't you be grateful for Reyes's pearls of wisdom?

he's so much more Long-Sighted© and Smart© than we peons! why can't you give him due deference?
LEAVE SILVESTRE ALONE!!!111
:sarcasm: