Obama intel nominee (Dennis Blair) pledges no torture on his watch

[sabra]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's pick for national intelligence director says he believes torture isn't moral, legal or effective, and there will be none of it on his watch.

In prepared remarks for his Senate confirmation hearing today, Retired Adm. Dennis Blair says 1 of his main responsibilities will be to rebuild trust in the nation's intelligence agencies. He says that will require the agencies to "respect the privacy and civil liberties of the American people." To that end, Blair says there will be no warrantless wiretapping.

Blair calls the military prison at Guantanamo Bay a "damaging symbol to the world." He says it provides "a rallying cry for terrorist recruitment" and that closing it is important to national security.

Read more: http://www.wrex.com/Global/story.asp?S=9715268

[kpete]

1. fingers crossed

and peace to you sabra, kp

[Soylent Brice]

2. these last couple of days have been so surreal.

K&R

[Jefferson23]

3. I don't like this man due to his record, but I will give Obama the benefit

of the doubt, for now anyway.