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Why John Brennan Matters: Part 2
TalkLeft —
... It simply is noteworthy of comment and cause for concern -- though far from conclusive about what Obama will do -- that Obama's transition chief for intelligence policy, John Brennan, was an ardent supporter of torture and one of the ...
Hmmm
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan —
Yesterday Greenwald wrote: Obama's transition chief for intelligence policy, John Brennan, was an ardent supporter of torture and one of the most emphatic advocates of FISA expansions and telecom immunity. Today James Gordon Meek writes: Much speculation centers on John Brennan, a highly respected retired CIA official who stood up the National Counterterrorism Center in 2004 and is advising the President-Elect. Among many things Democrats like about the softspoken Brennan are his anti-torture views. They both can't be right. Greenwald links to an article by Jane Mayer to ...
Obama's Intelligence Transition Chief Undercuts Message of Change
Open Left - Front Page —
While Obama sent some very good signals about closing Guantanamo and ending torture on 60 Minutes, a closer look shows that all is not well. In an op-ed in the Baltimore Sun last Friday, "Change in intelligence?", former CIA and State Department analyst Mel Goodman discussed two stupendously bad top transition figures in the intelligence realm: Goodman praised Obama for his willingness to replace two top figures, but went on to question who Obama has on his team:
President-elect Barack Obama is sending conflicting signals on whether he intends to change the bankrupt culture of Washington's intelligence community and to introduce ...
Glenn Greenwald, Andrew Sullivan Celebrate "Exceptional News": John Brennan Won't Be CIA Director
MoJo Blog Posts: mojo —
John Brennan, a top adviser to Barack Obama on intelligence issues who had been widely rumored to be the President-elect's top choice for CIA director, has taken himself out of the running. Bloggers, including Salon's Glenn Greenwald and the Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan, had vociferously opposed Brennan on the grounds that he had reportedly supported the torture of terrorist detainees and the governments extraordinary rendition program. In his letter to Obama, Brennan writes that he "was not involved in the decision-making process for any of these controversial policies," but Greenwald emphasizes that being involved ...
Here Comes The Argument
Firedoglake —
In life, there are are few pieces of absolute strategic wisdom. One is never to get involved in a land war in Asia. Another is not to get into a dispute about facts with Glenn Greenwald. A third is not to miss the forest for the trees. While I may not set foot in Asia, I think I'm about to violate the other two rules.
Glenn has led the charge against John Brennan for being "an ardent supporter of torture." Without touching on Glenn's evidence, I looked at the case made by an anti-Brennan coalition and found it to be dubious. Glenn cordially asked me if I'd take a look at his stronger case (my characterization) and so after the jump, I ...
National Security Community on Torture: "If we're afraid of bloggers, how can we take on al-Qaeda?"
Open Left - Front Page —
Al Kamen of the Washington Post becomes the latest reporter to be used by people in the 'intelligence community', reporting falsely about torture supporter and Obama advisor John Brennan who withdrew his name from consideration for a high level intelligence appointment, citing criticisms from bloggers as the rationale.
Meanwhile, the incoming administration is still looking hard for someone to be CIA director. Everyone's apparent first choice, John Brennan, a former deputy director, ran into a firestorm of Internet criticism when word circulated of his near-pending nomination. Liberal bloggers argued that Brennan had tolerated aggressive interrogation ...
Obama's Aide from the "Dark Side"
David Corn —
With one hand, he giveth, with the other....
By tapping Leon Panetta to be CIA chief, Barack Obama sent a clear signal: no to torture. A year ago, Panetta wrote an article declaring, "We cannot and we must not use torture under any circumstances." And he included waterboarding--which the CIA has used---as torture. In fact, Obama's reported first choice for the CIA job, John Brennan, a career CIA official, had had his chances scuttled after bloggers and others griped that he had been soft, if not supportive, when it came to torture and CIA renditions. A New Yorker piece by Jane Mayer identified him as a "supporter" of so-called ...
Obama's Aide from the "Dark Side"
MoJo Blog Posts: mojo —
With one hand, he giveth, with the other....
By tapping Leon Panetta to be CIA chief, President-elect Barack Obama sent a clear signal: no to torture. A year ago, Panetta wrote an article declaring, "We cannot and we must not use torture under any circumstances." And he included waterboarding--which the CIA has used---as torture. When Obama on Friday morning publicly announced his appointment of Panetta, he declared, "under my administration, the United States does not torture." He noted that he was handing this "clear charge" to Panetta and that this policy "will ultimately make us safer."
In fact, Obama's reported first choice for the CIA ...
