Intelligence Report: Pelosi Briefed on Use of Interrogation Tactics in Sept. ’02

[RamboLiberal]

Source: ABC News

ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was briefed on the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” on terrorist suspect Abu Zubaydah in September 2002, according to a report prepared by the Director of National Intelligence’s office and obtained by ABC News.

The report, submitted to the Senate Intelligence Committee and other Capitol Hill officials Wednesday, appears to contradict Pelosi’s statement last month that she was never told about the use of waterboarding or other special interrogation tactics. Instead, she has said, she was told only that the Bush administration had legal opinions that would have supported the use of such techniques.

The report details a Sept. 4, 2002 meeting between intelligence officials and Pelosi, then-House intelligence committee chairman Porter Goss, and two aides. At the time, Pelosi was the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee.

The meeting is described as a “Briefing on EITs including use of EITs on Abu Zubaydah, background on authorities, and a description of particular EITs that had been employed.”

-----

Daly pointed out that the report backs up Pelosi’s contention that she was briefed only once on “enhanced interrogation techniques.” Her name does not appear elsewhere in the report.



Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/05/intelligence-r...

[bemildred]

1. Pelosi is not a fool.

She knew perfectly well what was going on.

[Baby Snooks]

2. She probably asked if they could "rendition" the homeless in Pacific Heights...

The woman is evil. But, well, the people of San Francisco love her. I don't love the people of San Francisco. I will never go there again, will never support their businesses again. I look at labels now. Anything from San Francisco is put back on the shelf. My sanctions against an evil empire. Run by an evil Empress.

All of this just makes me so ill. They all are complicit in all of it.

Obama condemns it. And yet has done nothing to change the policies that allow it. Present tense. Allows it.

[nichomachus]

43. Or at least the protestors in front of her house

IIRC she wanted to do something nasty to them.

[bemildred]

48. She chose political expediency (her career) over principle.

Now, hopefully, she will pay the price for that corruption, so that future leaders will think twice about going along with this sort of tyranny.

[Jefferson23]

3. Ok, any lawyers out there? What I would like to understand is this,

was Pelosi in a position to consult with an attorney prior to/after the briefing? Was she and the others bound by any law not to disclose the information?

[leveymg]

26. She has Congressional Immunity for any use of classified information. Could NOT be prosecuted.

The worst they could do to her would be to cut off further classified briefings.

She was perfectly free to demand a halt to torture and disclose this and other classified information, such as the warrantless wiretapping Program, that she was aware of years before it was made known to the public.

Pelosi certainly had a moral and a legal right to step up and let the rest of us know about this. But, she failed in that duty.

[No Elephants]

36. Who needs a lawyer when you have Attorney Google in da house?. Here is an article on

Congressional immunity and classified info. http://spectator.org/archives/2002/08/06/congressional-...

[Jefferson23]

42. Thank you for the reply, this is so bad, I don't even know what

to say. What chances are left that there will be any justice now? Seems slim at best.

[crim son]

4. I recall reading this a couple years ago, about two minutes

before I lost all respect for/interest in Pelosi.

[underpants]

5. Can I point out that they didn't torture Abu Zubaydah until August of 2003

or is that important?

[Baby Snooks]

6. Probably not...

The point is she knew about the techniques. And the policies that allowed them to be used.

[glitch]

8. I think it is important, especially since this is coming from abcnews. nt

[Baby Snooks]

16. No, no, no...

I have seen the light finally. It's a right-wing conspiracy against the Democrats. Of course. Don't you see? ABC is merely a tool of the right-wing. Hillary was right. It's all a right-wing conspiracy. We must destroy the Republicans before they destroy us. We must stand up and defend the Empress. She is the Empress. She can do no wrong. Well, okay, so she has some flaws. She doesn't like homeless people for one thing. Well, she really doesn't like a lot of people. But she is the Democrat. So we must wave the flag and defend her against all enemies. She is the Empress. Long live the Empress.

The Empress. Like the Emperor, she has no clothes.

[AlbertCat]

19. Wait a moment! It IS!

I smell a rat...and I don't mean Pelosi.

I'm not a fan-boy for her but it does seem to me that this is a little vague. “Briefing on EITs including use of EITs on Abu Zubaydah, background on authorities, and a description of particular EITs that had been employed.” before the date we supposedly started torturing Zubaydah implied we don't know exactly what she was told and it could be very different from what was happening in 2003. I mean, c'mon, if there was any concrete smoking evidence Pelosi was in on it and approved, doncha think the GOP would have trotted it out by now? Establishing her "guilt" is just taking too much effort. I mean, compare it to Condie's role, or Rummy's, or Cheney's...."Mr. Secret Undisclosed Everything". It's too forced. It smacks of "she must be involved"Find something on her" You guys should recognize that modus operandi by now.

[Demeter]

22. I Don't Care Why Nancy Leaves Public Office, As Long As She Goes

and she can take that empty table with her.

[emilyg]

25. I'll help her pack.

[glitch]

23. That's what I thought. nt

[emulatorloo]

45. Anonymous CIA leak (Cheney Sleeper Cell). And as we know, Cheney people never lie (SARCASM)

For example there are lots of examples of Cheney being "truthful" on tape during the last few years.

And if I remember correctly wasn't Scooter Libby convicted for being "truthful?"

I too am skeptical of Pelosi.

However, we know how this crowd operates. I think a lot of skepticism is appropriate, especially because

A) Cheney
B) Boehner started this - and he specializes in distraction

[EFerrari]

28. They started torturing him in April 2002. But it doesn't matter.

Pelosi was only one of the Congressional leaders briefed on this program. She does bear some responsibility just as they all do. The 110th will always be the Torture Congress as far as I'm concerned.

[leveymg]

31. AZ waterboarded 83 times August '02, KSM 183 times March '03

Actually, AZ was tortured from the moment he was first captured on March 28, 2002. Shot in the groin - US interrogators withheld fast-acting pain medications. AZ finally revealed details of the Al-Qaeda financial and command network when he was tricked into believing he was talking to Saudi intelligence - three ranking Saudi Royals and the Pakistani Air Marshal were dead within months, according to Posner.

[underpants]

35. You are right-I was wrong

The C.I.A. officers used waterboarding at least 83 times in August 2002 against Abu Zubaydah, according to a 2005 Justice Department legal memorandum. Abu Zubaydah has been described as a Qaeda operative.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/world/20detain.html

[leveymg]

41. :hi:

[No Elephants]

37. According to what I've ben reading, torture has been going on since at

least Reagan. And rendition since at least Clinton.

It's really past time for Americans stop focusing on Party and start focusing on their country or even their own self interest.

We're being robbed blind by our government--and not only us. Several generations of our descendants are indebted, well before their grandpappies are gleams in anyone's eye.

They are also robbing other countries blind. In our name, with our money, it' been making enemies for us who want to kill us, though we never met them and never will. And our kids and grandkids. It still is, with wars, maybe rendition, and refusal to investigate or prosecute for atrocities.

They're raping the planet. Water, air, minerals, fish, wildlife, public lands, everything. Gone or going fast. Including our Constituion and laws.

Meanwhile, they are becoming billionairs on our backs and those of our descendants.

And we are magpies, distracted by every little thing. It does not even have to be shiny.

I'm ready to dump every one of them and start over.

1776 anyone?

[kristopher]

7. Bybee memo dated Aug. 1, 2002

She was presented with "enhanced interrogation techniques" and an assurance from the Office of Legal Council that such techniques were entirely legal.

She claims her ability to question the conclusions presented was limited by the classification of the material and the rules governing sharing of information.

I don't like Pelosi, she has folded on too many things for my tastes; but I don't think she is culpable in this affair. She was a dolt and a failure as an oversight authority, but she wasn't part of the inner circle that perpetrated this crime, IMO.

http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/olc_memos.html

[Baby Snooks]

9. Legal?

I cannot believe what has happened to this country. As long as it's legal. What about something legal but unethical? What about something legal but morally reprehensible?

[dgibby]

10. Nothing's happened to this country.

We have a long and sordid history of illegal, unethical, and immoral behavior. Just ask the Native Americans and descendants of slaves.

[Baby Snooks]

14. I strongly disagree...

If there had not been those who believed in this country and in the principles it was founded on, we would only have ten amendments which would apply only to certain men. And only they would be granted protections and rights under those ten amendments. Everyone else, including women, would merely belong to those men.

We have become complacent and so we have lost the protections and rights that others fought for, and they fought not on battlefields but in the courts and in the chambers of Congress, and I am so tired of people defending those who have taken them away just simply because they are Democrats, or Republicans, and so it is somehow okay. It is okay to take away people's protections and rights?

I see Democrats doing what Republicans did. Waving the flag and declaring victory because they have the White House and the Congress. Blindly supporting the Democrat just because they are a Democrat. The way the Republicans blindly supported the Republican just because they were a Republican. Nothing has changed. The American people are still being played for fools by those who have no party except themselves. The Republicrats. They destroyed the democracy and replaced it with oligarchy. And Obama is just the latest to defend the oligarchy while claiming to defend the democracy.

We have become complacent and so we have lost sight of the principles this country was founded on. And that is why we are a falling empire.

[Iowa]

11. Thank you!

There is no reasonable defense for acquiescence. If she knew, Pelosi needs to be flushed, right along with all the repukes who created this stench. And any other Dems who passively sat by and acquiesced... flush them too. Whatever it takes.

[NOW tense]

18. Agreed n/t

[kristopher]

12. Odd how people key on certain words while ignoring others.

I also wrote: I don't like Pelosi, she has folded on too many things for my tastes; but I don't think she is culpable in this affair. She was a dolt and a failure as an oversight authority, but she wasn't part of the inner circle that perpetrated this crime, IMO

Let me repeat that again "She was a dolt and a failure as an oversight authority..."

Is that any different from your remark? One of her primary duties is oversight of the executive. No where in my words is there a hint that her actions are acceptable; and in fact I view her failure in that duty as inexcusable and have from the time Bush started his madness.

[RedCloud]

13. Scare Pelosi and no more investigation?

Amazing how that works.

[goforit]

15. This is why Obama doesn't wana prosecute. Many colleagues in league with torture.

YES......This friggin country Is a one party system.
Americans need to prosecute these asses and clean house once and for all.
Pelosi is complicit. She too is a criminal and needs to resign or else face charges.
Obama wants to instill trust in the Gov't??? This is the only way.

CLEAN HOUSE ......NOW!!!

[Baby Snooks]

17. Won't happen...

Someone commented about how things have changed with Obama. Usually the presidents make the money with the books after they leave the White House. He made the money with the books before the White House. $2.7 million. And more pouring in every day.

And he likes it. So does Michelle. That's really the problem. As always, the money. It corrupts it all. That's how the Republicrats recruit. They wave the money around.

[Dogmudgeon]

20. Blackmail, or getting her out of the way?

Between the blackmail and the glee of the progressive left, this sounds Too Good To Be True. We need to see a lot more in the way of substance over this one.

--d!

[L. Coyote]

21. Indeed. There are a lot of fools here on DU falling for this R con job!

And, no doubt if Pelosi is to be faulted it will be for falling for the R con job they pulled on her and the other members of Congress!!

[glitch]

24. "We need to see a lot more in the way of substance over this one."

bore repeating (although I am progressive left and not gleeful)

[EFerrari]

27. Nancy was only one of the Congressional leaders that were briefed

and we've known that for years. Hastert, too. The chairs and ranking members of the intelligence committees and I forget who else. It was like eight of them at least.

This article is just more hype.

[No Elephants]

38. One specific fact makes or breaks everything? Please see Reply #37.

[truthisfreedom]

29. More Disney bullshit.

Fuck 'em.

[Senator]

30. It Just Doesn't Matter -- Except One Bit

Pelosi's impeachophobic "Off The Table Campaign" was far worse an act of complicity/co-conspiracy with the atrocities of the regime than playing bobble-head during a euphemized sworn-to-secrecy briefing. Besides, as a US Gov't official she was at all times under an affirmative treaty-bound duty (as was Obama) to report and ACT to stop any suspected ongoing torture.

Frankly, if she wanted to start serving her nation, as opposed to her own ambitions, she'd "call their bluff" on this. She'd cut the corruption cords, resign from Congress and become the nation's foremost advocate for torture prosecutions and the Redemption of Our National Soul.

The real question about "this episode" (and similar ones) is that if they really believed that all these EIT-labeled acts were perfectly legal and ethical, then why the extraordinary effort to brief the "gangs" in Congress??

If you're still wearing trousers, why C-Y-A?

--

[EFerrari]

33. After Pelosi was briefed, the torture program continued for six more years.

Right through the time we were asking her to impeach Bush. So now, her legacy will be the Torture 110th. She deserves every bit of that honor.

[flyarm]

47. Please go read Emptywheel on this ..she has the best reporting going on!! links here:

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com /

snip:

CIA Lying to ABC about Torture. Again. ABC Reporting It Uncritically. Again.
By: emptywheel Thursday May 7, 2009 8:21 pm

As bmaz has reported, the CIA has sent a list of torture briefings to Crazy Pete Hoekstra on when and whom in Congress got briefed that the CIA was in the torture business. And ABC news, just off having to admit the CIA lied to them about torture in the past, has taken what the CIA gave them and treated it totally uncritically. Again.

Based on the list (which I've also obtained), they're out with a post claiming they've caught Pelosi in a contradiction.

The report, submitted to the Senate Intelligence Committee and other Capitol Hill officials Wednesday, appears to contradict Pelosi’s statement last month that she was never told about the use of waterboarding or other special interrogation tactics.

Setting aside the fact that the list doesn't mention waterboarding specifically in its description of that briefing (it does in quite a few others), there are huge problems with using the list as a basis to claim anything.

First, there's this paragraph the CIA included in the letter they sent with the briefing list to Crazy Pete (which ABC didn't think important enough to include when they first posted this story):

snip;

CIA: "Here's a list, but we won't vouch for its accuracy."

ABC: "We've proven that Nancy was wrong!!"

ABC, after having been burned in the past, took documents that the CIA itself said might not be accurate, and treated them as accurate.

But it gets worse. ABC printed the following description, as if it were an accurate representation of the next set of torture briefings, which took place in February 2003.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

perhaps the best reporting being done on the torture info!!!

Pelosi’s Advisory On Abu Zubaydah And Torture

By: bmaz Thursday May 7, 2009 7:03 pm



As Marcy noted back on April 29th, the issue of Nancy Pelosi's briefing back in 2002 on the Bush/Cheney torture program, whether or not it was being applied to Abu Zubaydah and, if so, to what extent, has really turned into a he said-she said game. (See also here regarding the Porter Goss offensive against Pelosi and Harman).


http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/05/07/pelosis-ad ...

snip;
Pelosi has already, of course, issued a denial through a spokesman. More he said-she said. Quite frankly, without more, today's play should be taken with a grain of salt. Multiple major news organizations have this hot off the press info right after Congress receives it and right wing hit rag Human Events (Jed Babbin) is pitching it as a slam on Pelosi. How very convenient. As further evidence of the need for grains of salt listen to Leon Panetta in his own cover letter transmitted with "the report":

“This letter presents the most thorough information we have on dates, locations, and names of all Members of Congress who were briefed by the CIA on enhanced interrogation techniques. This information, however, is drawn from the past files of the CIA and represents completed at the time and notes that summarized the best recollections of those individuals. In the end, you and the Committee will have to determine whether this information is an accurate summary of what actually happened. We can make the MFRs available at CIA for staff review.” (Emphasis added)

As should be crystal clear by now, "those individuals" that worked on the "past files of the CIA" "at the time" were not necessarily the most even handed and/or disinterested arbiters of the truth. The CIA has a big bone in this fight, and it rests completely in implicating Pelosi, Harman and other members of Congress in their bad acts.


edit to add***ohhhhh and do read all the comments at Emptywheel..posters pick up many discrepencies in the CIA notes!

[EFerrari]

49. I'm not basing my statement on what CIA has said, fly.

They're trying to create confusion.

[No Elephants]

39. Problem is, it's not only Nancy. Or Blue Dogs. Or Pubs. Please see Reply # 37.

[EFerrari]

50. Reagan had toture programs but subsequent presidents have not

that I know of, anyway. Clinton did have a rendition program but that's a different issue.

What is at stake at this moment is the results of the ICRC report that came out last month. It's not just any report, it has legal standing at the UN and at the World Court. That's why this discussion is underway right now.

[struggle4progress]

32. "... In the end, you and the Committee will have to determine whether this information is

an accurate summary of what actually happened ..." http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/05/intelligence-r...

[livefreest]

34. well i want to hear it and read all about those reports. and why is Dick Cheney not

asking for all those documents be revealed? i think republicans this far are just hinting that democratic leaders, Including Rep Pelosi, knew all about the torture techniques as they were being used. Well let's get all the documents and minutes of those meetings out.

[No Elephants]

40. Whether or not this particular fact is accurate, Congress CANNOT investigate squat. We need

a special prosecutor. Several organizations are petitioning for one and have a petition you can sign online, including the ACLU. Google and find one you like and sign it. And, if you possibly can donate.

[nichomachus]

44. At least now we know why impeachment was off the table

She was complicit in the crimes.

[flyarm]

46. Please please go read Emptywheel on the bullshit ABC is pulling!!

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com /

snip:

CIA Lying to ABC about Torture. Again. ABC Reporting It Uncritically. Again.
By: emptywheel Thursday May 7, 2009 8:21 pm

As bmaz has reported, the CIA has sent a list of torture briefings to Crazy Pete Hoekstra on when and whom in Congress got briefed that the CIA was in the torture business. And ABC news, just off having to admit the CIA lied to them about torture in the past, has taken what the CIA gave them and treated it totally uncritically. Again.

Based on the list (which I've also obtained), they're out with a post claiming they've caught Pelosi in a contradiction.

The report, submitted to the Senate Intelligence Committee and other Capitol Hill officials Wednesday, appears to contradict Pelosi’s statement last month that she was never told about the use of waterboarding or other special interrogation tactics.

Setting aside the fact that the list doesn't mention waterboarding specifically in its description of that briefing (it does in quite a few others), there are huge problems with using the list as a basis to claim anything.

First, there's this paragraph the CIA included in the letter they sent with the briefing list to Crazy Pete (which ABC didn't think important enough to include when they first posted this story):

snip;

CIA: "Here's a list, but we won't vouch for its accuracy."

ABC: "We've proven that Nancy was wrong!!"

ABC, after having been burned in the past, took documents that the CIA itself said might not be accurate, and treated them as accurate.

But it gets worse. ABC printed the following description, as if it were an accurate representation of the next set of torture briefings, which took place in February 2003.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

perhaps the best reporting being done on the torture info!!!

Pelosi’s Advisory On Abu Zubaydah And Torture

By: bmaz Thursday May 7, 2009 7:03 pm



As Marcy noted back on April 29th, the issue of Nancy Pelosi's briefing back in 2002 on the Bush/Cheney torture program, whether or not it was being applied to Abu Zubaydah and, if so, to what extent, has really turned into a he said-she said game. (See also here regarding the Porter Goss offensive against Pelosi and Harman).


http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/05/07/pelosis-ad ...

snip;
Pelosi has already, of course, issued a denial through a spokesman. More he said-she said. Quite frankly, without more, today's play should be taken with a grain of salt. Multiple major news organizations have this hot off the press info right after Congress receives it and right wing hit rag Human Events (Jed Babbin) is pitching it as a slam on Pelosi. How very convenient. As further evidence of the need for grains of salt listen to Leon Panetta in his own cover letter transmitted with "the report":

“This letter presents the most thorough information we have on dates, locations, and names of all Members of Congress who were briefed by the CIA on enhanced interrogation techniques. This information, however, is drawn from the past files of the CIA and represents completed at the time and notes that summarized the best recollections of those individuals. In the end, you and the Committee will have to determine whether this information is an accurate summary of what actually happened. We can make the MFRs available at CIA for staff review.” (Emphasis added)

As should be crystal clear by now, "those individuals" that worked on the "past files of the CIA" "at the time" were not necessarily the most even handed and/or disinterested arbiters of the truth. The CIA has a big bone in this fight, and it rests completely in implicating Pelosi, Harman and other members of Congress in their bad acts.


edit to add***ohhhhh and do read all the comments at Emptywheel..posters pick up many discrepencies in the CIA notes!