(CNSNews.com) - The Central Intelligence Agency told CNSNews.com today that it stands by the assertion made in a May 30, 2005 Justice Department memo that the use of “enhanced techniques” of interrogation on al Qaeda leader Khalid Sheik Mohammed (KSM) -- including the use of waterboarding -- caused KSM to reveal information that allowed the U.S. government to thwart a planned attack on Los Angeles.
See: http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=46949
1a) Hill Briefed on Waterboarding in 2002 In September 2002, four members of Congress met in secret for a first look at a unique CIA program designed to wring vital information from reticent terrorism suspects in U.S. custody. For more than an hour, the bipartisan group, which included current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), was given a virtual tour of the CIA's overseas detention sites and the harsh techniques interrogators had devised to try to make their prisoners talk. Among the techniques described, said two officials present, was waterboarding, a practice that years later would be condemned as torture by Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill. But on that day, no objections were raised. Instead, at least two lawmakers in the room asked the CIA to push harder, two U.S. officials said. "The briefer was specifically asked if the methods were tough enough," said a U.S. official who witnessed the exchange. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/08/AR2007120801664.html And: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/23/boehner-cia-methods-no-secret-hill/ 1b) Congress Knew About the Interrogations Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair got it right last week when he noted how easy it is to condemn the enhanced interrogation program "on a bright sunny day in April 2009." Reactions to this former CIA program, which was used against senior al Qaeda suspects in 2002 and 2003, are demonstrating how little President Barack Obama and some Democratic members of Congress understand the dire threats to our nation. George Tenet, who served as CIA director under Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, believes the enhanced interrogations program saved lives. He told CBS's "60 Minutes" in April 2007: "I know this program alone is worth more than the FBI, the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency put together have been able to tell us." …It was not necessary to release details of the enhanced interrogation techniques, because members of Congress from both parties have been fully aware of them since the program began in 2002. We believed it was something that had to be done in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to keep our nation safe. After many long and contentious debates, Congress repeatedly approved and funded this program on a bipartisan basis in both Republican and Democratic Congresses (emphasis mine). See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124044188941045415.html 2) Police investigating death of Freddie Mac official VIENNA, VA. – The chief financial officer of Freddie Mac, one of the mortgage giants at the heart of the nation's financial meltdown, was found dead in his basement early Wednesday morning in what police said was an apparent suicide. David Kellermann, 41, apparently hanged himself in his suburban Washington home, said a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation. He asked not to be identified because the investigation was ongoing. …That relationship has been tense and stressful, with Kellermann working long hours, a colleague said. Freddie Mac executives recently battled with federal regulators over whether to disclose potential losses on mortgage securities tied to the Obama administration's housing plan, said a person familiar with the deliberations who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090422/ap_on_bi_ge/us_freddie_mac_official_dead 3) GOP Stymies Vote on Sebelius President Obama will have to wait a bit longer to round out his Cabinet. Senate Republicans refused today to allow a confirmation vote on his health secretary nominee Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D-Kan.). She is the last Cabinet member awaiting Senate approval. At the start of the session today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) proposed taking a vote after five hours of debate. But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) objected, arguing that lawmakers needed more time to consider her "fairly contentious" selection. A handful of Republicans have complained about Sebelius' support for abortion rights and her failure to report the full extent of campaign contributions she received from a physician who performs abortions. See: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/04/23/gop_stymies_vote_on_sebelius.html And: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090423/ap_on_go_co/us_sebelius_hhs Indeed, “Sebelius received almost $40,000 in campaign contributions tied to Dr. George Tiller through 2002 — a figure she was forced to revise after Operation Rescue challenged her initial $12,400 total. Sebelius said it was an ‘inadvertent omission.’” See: http://www.sba-list.org/site/apps/nlnet/content.aspx?c=ddJBKJNsFqG&b=4186739&content_id={A1B3E441-E6AA-45EF-9BA3-51691B1F58EB}¬oc=1 4) Judiciary Committee greenlights 'hate crimes' Members refuse to protect Christian pastors from charges Members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee today rejected an opportunity to protect Christian pastors who preach the biblical condemnation of homosexuality and approved on a 15-12 vote a "hate crimes" bill that supporters admit could be used to bring charges against religious leaders. The bill, H.R. 1913, now will be considered by the full House of Representatives. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95923 5) Fuzzy Math The GOP took some heat when they called out the $3,100 extra tax dollars per year American households would have to pay when Cap & Trade is implemented. The MIT professor who worked on the study said the GOP was lying -- predictably liberal bloggers and left media like Keith Olbermann picked up on this and made fun of the GOP by mocking them as mathematicians. Turns out it was the MIT professor who was the idiot, after admitting to a 'boneheaded excel spreadsheet' mistake, and wouldn't you know it---the actual number is even higher than the GOP's estimate. See: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/24433/ 6) Is Obama campaign cash quashing eligibility suits? FEC shows more than $1 million paid to top law firm since election President Obama may be using campaign funds to stomp out eligibility lawsuits brought by Americans, as his campaign has paid more than $1 million to his top lawyer since the election. According to Federal Election Commission records, Obama For America paid $688,316.42 to international law firm Perkins Coie between January and March 2009. The campaign also compensated Perkins Coie for legal services between Oct. 16, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2008 – to the tune of $378,375.52. Robert Bauer of Perkins Coie – top lawyer for Obama, Obama's presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee and Obama's Organizing for America – is the same Washington, D.C., lawyer defending President Obama in lawsuits challenging his eligibility to be president. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95772
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