Feinstein's Secret Torture Probe May Nix Public Hearings

[kpete]

Feinstein's Secret Torture Probe May Nix Public Hearings
by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse

Mon May 04, 2009 at 08:00:52 PM PDT

Sen. Feinstein’s ongoing, secret torture probe is ostensibly only a 1-year "review" or "study." In reality, these proceedings are a functional equivalent of proposed public Congressional inquiries. The Feinstein probe covers the same substantive issues that would be investigated by Congressional probes that are still languishing in the debate stage. The Feinstein probe will review classified CIA documents and "interview" witnesses so that it can formulate US torture policy. CIA witnesses will be key to both the Feinstein probe and any Congressional hearings. Given the number of pressing issues and crises facing the US, will Congress be motivated to conduct a public investigation after Feinstein’s probe is completed? If not, then the Feinstein probe will be the only torture investigation but it will formulate US torture policy in secret and its report may never be released to the public. Moreover, if any Congressional probe provides immunity to witnesses, this can nix or alter the investigative scope and putative targets of subsequent special prosecutions. In short, some in DC have may have decided to implement the move-forward policy whether you like it or not.

.............


http://intelligence.senate.gov/press/record.cfm?id=309152
more at:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/5/4/724825/-Feinsteins-Secret-Torture-Probe-May-Nix-Public-Hearings

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. sounds opaque not transparent?

[nomorenomore08]

2. But is it "double secret"?

:hide:

In all seriousness, Feinstein isn't exactly the first person I'd trust to do an effective investigation. As a Californian I often find myself wanting to ask, like a parent playing favorites, "Why can't you be more like Barbara (Boxer)?"

[tularetom]

3. No surprise. Feinstein probably owns the company that made the jugs used in waterboarding

And she probably made a brazillion dollars selling them to the government.

She is a war profiteer big time. Of course she doesn't want any of this shit to see the light of day.

[noise]

4. Does anyone really believe the Senate will question

the motives for the torture program? That is one of the key issues. After all, FBI agent Soufan has gone on the record to state that legal interrogation methods were working.

CIA control of interrogations meant:

1) Secrecy maintained. No access for 9/11 inquiries.

2) False confessions. Good for foreign policy agenda and public conditioning (i.e. fearmongering reduced public dissent).

3) Good for GOP political advantage. Harsh interrogation methods appealed to the authoritarian GOP base. Fit with the unitary executive theory.

4) Enhanced the CIA’s prestige. Oddly enough, CIA prestige came at the expense of the country.

[harun]

13. +1, good post.

[Webster Green]

5. "so that it can formulate US torture policy"

Fuck that shit! The policy is already formulated. Torture is fucking illegal!

I can't wait to vote against that fucking bitch again.

[EFerrari]

6. Oh no it won't. Nice try, Dianne, but it's not on.

[PufPuf23]

7. Feinstein should go.

She became Mayor of SF when Milk was murdered.

Her husband, Richard Blum, earned $100 million plus in no-bid military contracts in 1st GWB admin where his companies had close to zero operating history.

I {heart} Barbara Boxer.

I would like Jerry Brown to make a comeback nationally as well.

[chill_wind]

8. Limited hangout at best. I've been saying that repeatedly.

The key to the coverup will be to acknowledge the limited use of waterboarding and other "harsh interrogation tactics" while blacking out the 34-45 documented cases of detainee murder. It's a familiar spy trick called the "limited hangout."

http://www.democrats.com/dianne-feinstein-plans-torture-coverup

[bottomtheweaver]

9. She's really good at this.

Earnest speech or two about how terribly close we all came to something terrible, lots of fake emotion, vague calls for serious thought about something, vague apologies for all those who doing the best they knew how under the terrible stress of terror and oh did I mention terror, God bless America and that's that.

She's done it many times before.

[Solly Mack]

10. Typical

[Supersedeas]

12. DiFi has her own agenda -- she has always been a Dem enabler of the Bushes

[livefreest]

11. you know...it's been a while since i heard anything about the torture memos

and bringing anyone before justice. and i'm troubled by how so many pundits on TV start any guesses of who might be prosecuted by saying that Cheney can't realistically be prosecuted. :wtf: even on Countdown this past friday there was a guy from newsweek talking to Keith and he didn't say anything :cry: