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President Obama To Issue Executive Order Prohibiting CIA "Harsh Interrogations"

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 06:44:21 AM EST
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If it sticks, Huzzah for President Obama:

[T]he [executive] orders . . . will also prohibit the C.I.A. from using coercive interrogation methods, requiring the agency to follow the same rules used by the military in interrogating terrorism suspects, government officials said.

Here is my concern:

The new White House counsel, Gregory B. Craig, briefed lawmakers about some elements of the orders on Wednesday evening. A Congressional official who attended the session said Mr. Craig acknowledged concerns from intelligence officials that new restrictions on C.I.A. methods might be unwise and indicated that the White House might be open to allowing the use of methods other the 19 techniques allowed for the military.

(Emphasis supplied.) If Greg Craig said that, then this is all a charade. If Obama is saying that, then this is a big lie. Which, in some ways, makes it worse. More . . .

More from the story:

The executive order on interrogations is certain to be received with some skepticism at the C.I.A., which for years has maintained that the military’s interrogation rules are insufficient to get information from senior Qaeda figures like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The Bush administration asserted that the harsh interrogation methods were instrumental in gaining valuable intelligence on Qaeda operations.

Of course this is nonsense and irrelevant anyway. Unless the United States is prepared to opt out of the UN Convention on Torture, any continuation of torture will be a violation of United States law by President Barack Obama. Not to mention a war crime.

speaking for me only

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    President Obama To Issue Executive Order Prohibiting CIA "Harsh Interrogations" | 24 comments (24 topical)

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    Get the FBI to lead the interogations (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by popsnorkle on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 07:05:17 AM EST
    I remember reading that in the beginning they had a choice of who did the interogations and they gave it to the CIA, to people with no experience.  Maybe they don't know how to get information other ways because they don't know how to do interogation in general.  Perhaps the answer to the skepticism is to tell them the job is no longer theirs.

    As I recall the FBI did some of the initial (none / 0) (#2)
    by Molly Bloom on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 07:09:37 AM EST
    interrogations then the CIA stepped in and when the FBI realized what was happening they washed their hands of it.

    Source: Jane Mayer, The Dark Side

    Parent

    Tired of the dance (5.00 / 3) (#7)
    by mmc9431 on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 07:51:28 AM EST
    Enough of all this dancing around the issue. No more winks or nods. Either we adhere to the laws and treaties we have signed or we change them and pull out. If Obama truly believes in his inaugural speech, the option is perfectly clear.

    "If Obama truly believes his speech" (none / 0) (#13)
    by smott on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:06:25 AM EST
    Yes. If.

    Parent
    Now that the stupid & the craven... (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by pluege on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:48:35 AM EST
    are out of office, can we stop with the idiocy of using euphemisms for torture? "Harsh interrogation" indeed. Sounds like a scolding. Grownups should use grownup terms; torture is torture; you can't put no lipstick on that pig.

    Update