Pelosi Stands by Torture Statements

[Hissyspit]

Source: NBC News

PELOSI'S STANDS BY TORTURE STATEMENTS

Posted: Friday, May 08, 2009 3:34 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC's Mike Viqueira and Domenico Montanaro

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is standing by her position on her previous statements on what she knew about torture techniques used by the U.S. government:

"Of the forty CIA briefings to Congress reported recently in the press, I was only briefed once, on September 4, 2002, as I have previously stated. As I said in my statement of December 9, 2007: 'I was briefed on interrogation techniques the Administration was considering using in the future. The Administration advised that legal counsel for both the CIA and the Department of Justice had concluded that the techniques were legal.' I had no further briefings on the techniques.

"My understanding of the briefing I received is consistent with the description that CIA General Counsel Scott Muller provided to Congresswoman Jane Harman in a letter dated February 28, 2003, which states: 'As we informed both you and the leadership of the Intelligence Committees last September, a number of Executive Branch lawyers including lawyers from the Department of Justice participated in the determination that, in the appropriate circumstances, the use of these techniques is fully consistent with U.S. law.' As reported in the press, the accompanying memo from CIA Director Panetta concedes that the descriptions provided by the CIA may not be accurate."

Read more: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/05/08/1926903.aspx

[Cary]

1. Nancy is tough.

I assume she is telling the truth and I hope she gives them hell.

[L. Coyote]

14. Bush lied about torture. Did Bush's CIA tell the truth while Bush lied? Easy question, folks!!

Or, did they LIE to Congress, a crime to cover-up their torture crimes? Easy answer, folks!

[bananas]

26. The CIA lied to Pelosi, isn't that a crime?

Did the person from the CIA who briefed Pelosi know that the information was incorrect?
Did the people in the CIA who prepared the briefing know that the information was incorrect?
There has to be a crime in there.

[L. Coyote]

28. Lying to Congress is a crime! Statute of limitations?? Rs lied to Rs too!!

[Demeter]

15. Now WHY Would You Do Such a Thing?

In the face of years of evidence that she hasn't our best interests at heart, her dereliction of duty, and her rejection of her Democratic base and platform?

[Iowa]

21. Yep...

She has a history. And based on her miserable history I am much more inclined to believe that she's a damned liar, than to believe she's telling the truth. Complicity with torture would not be inconsistent with her character, and her denials are meaningless. That's one consequence of being a snake... people will believe the worst of you.

[Ian David]

2. If it weren't for "impeachment is off the table" I MIGHT believe her. n/t

[snowdays]

12. yes, I thought of that also.

[jsamuel]

22. Are you saying she lied when she said "impeachment is off the table?"

[Xipe Totec]

3. Time to call their bluff, Nancy,

Time to open up Congressional investigations on Torture.

Time to appoint an independent counsel.

Time to restore justice and the rule of law.

[lamp_shade]

4. She's telling the truth.

[frylock]

17. there's only one way to find out

[DJ13]

5. Anyone with any knowledge of history should have known

.... that waterboarding was considered torture, and our own government after WWII prosecuted, and sentenced to death anyone convicted of using it.

Im sorry Nancy, but you should have known the administration was considering violating international laws.

[EFerrari]

6. It would be nice to see Pelosi defend the law as vigorously as she defends herself. n/t

[Soylent Brice]

7. this is like watching chicken. who's going to veer off the road first?

[bemildred]

8. "I am not a crook." nt

[frylock]

16. i did not have sexual relations with that woman

[bemildred]

18. "America does not torture." nt

[BumRushDaShow]

23. "Read my lips. No new taxes." n/t

[Solly Mack]

9. K&R

[DissedByBush]

10. She's a politician. I don't trust her.

There are only two in Congress that I could trust at their word and I don't even like one of them.

The rest are playing "cover your ass."

[DebbieCDC]

11. Now we know why impeachment was off the table from day 1 for Nancy

[ProgressIn2008]

13. You know, you may have hit the nail on the head. Could have been a lot of things but maybe this. nt

[bluesmail]

19. They set her up but good. eom

[bemildred]

20. She swallowed it, hook, line, and sinker. nt

[No Elephants]

24. Thing is, there's no way she can spin not investigating. She had PLENTY of notice

that Congress should investigate whether the POTUS was violating the laws of the United States and/or treaties to which the United States is party, both of which, together with the Constitution of the United States, are "the supreme law" of the United States of America.

And not only on laws on torture, but on warrantless searches, cruel and unusual punishment, denying right to counsel, etc.


Congress is a co-equal branch, sworn to uphold and defend all those laws.

You knew it. I knew it. We ALL knew it.

"The Geneva Convention indicates that it's not permitted to photograph and embarrass or humiliate prisoners of war," Rumsfeld said. (referring to a TV appearance in which Rummy protested how AMERICAN captives were being treated, from a March 2003 article entitled:

POW TV
Why Rumsfeld should be careful about lecturing Saddam about the Geneva Conventions. http://www.slate.com/id/2080616/






One of many photos from Abu Ghraib, seen by most people on the planet, including all members of Congress.




Yet, while Bushco was busy shredding those laws, Nancy was busy clearing the confetti off the table just as fast as Bushco was shredding.


And, this is why we need a Special Prosecutor to investigate Bushcho. Congress is unsuitable for it. They all had notice. Whether they also had actual knowledge is another issue for another day.

Please consider "signing" this online petition.

https://secure.aclu.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=Nat_Petition_SpecialProsecutor&s_src=UNW090001ACT&s_subsrc=flyer&JServSessionIdr010=5rs8lpxp61.app23a

[Zavulon]

25. She's a lying sack.

"My understanding of the briefing I received" was all I needed to be convinced she's lying.

[L. Coyote]

29. BUSH was the LIAR in this scenario. And we all know it. Think for one second, and

consider, "Did Bush LIE for years to everyone, but tell the leader of the Dems the truth?"

Actually, that requires about half a micro-second of real thinking! :rofl:

[Zavulon]

30. Well, duh.

Bush lied? Next thing you're going to tell me is that McCain was a POW. :eyes:

A microsecond of thought on YOUR part should tell you that just because Bush lied doesn't automatically mean Pelosi is telling the truth.

A second microsecond of thought should enable you to figure what I think you can do with your condescending post. A proctologist should be able to help you on that one.

[L. Coyote]

31. So please enlighten us all. What exactly was Pelosi's lie? Your thinking she lied does not

make her a liar, you realize. Nor does it make you an astute thinker. Please, do tell, what exactly was the lie?

[EFerrari]

32. Unfortunately, I don't think there is any limit to how many liars you can have in this scenario.

Here in the district, we've gotten used to having the elephant in the room being relegated to non-problems and in fact, blamed on the left as if we created election fraud, wiretapping, the surge and now torture.

[cambie]

27. They saw nothing

They heard Nothing. Meanwhile this was going on:

"Final Autopsy Report: DOD 003164, (Detainee) Died as a result of asphyxia (lack of oxygen to the brain) due to strangulation as evidenced by the recently fractured hyoid bone in the neck and soft tissue hemorrhage extending downward to the level of the right thyroid cartilage. Autopsy revealed bone fracture, rib fractures, contusions in mid abdomen, back and buttocks extending to the left flank, abrasions, lateral buttocks. Contusions, back of legs and knees; abrasions on knees, left fingers and encircling to left wrist. Lacerations and superficial cuts, right 4th and 5th fingers. Also, blunt force injuries, predominately recent contusions (bruises) on the torso and lower extremities. Abrasions on left wrist are consistent with use of restraints. No evidence of defense injuries or natural disease. Manner of death is homicide. Whitehorse Detainment Facility, Nasiriyah, Iraq."