Brennan, once stung by waterboarding, now {publicly} opposes

[No Elephants]

Feb 6, 3:44 AM EST

Brennan, once stung by waterboarding, now opposes

By KIMBERLY DOZIER
AP Intelligence Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- John Brennan, now President Barack Obama's nominee to be CIA director, sat quietly around a conference table at the agency's headquarters in Langley, Va., during briefings about the capture and waterboarding of key al-Qaida operative Abu Zubaydah.

Former and current U.S. intelligence officials who were part of those briefings say Brennan, then deputy executive director of the CIA's administrative arm, did not raise objections to the interrogation practices in those forums. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the top-secret meetings publicly.

Brennan's silence may have cost him his first chance to lead the spy agency. He withdrew his name from consideration in 2008 following a stream of complaints that he was tainted by his CIA service during the administration of President George W. Bush, when harsh interrogation techniques like waterboarding came under fire.

But in his letter withdrawing his nomination, Brennan wrote that he'd been a "strong opponent" of the program. Throughout Obama's first term, Brennan added to the body of criticism of so-called enhanced interrogation techniques in his role as Obama's counterterrorism adviser.

<snip>

A senior administration official speaking on Brennan's behalf said Brennan had "significant concerns and personal objections to many elements of the EIT program while it was under way. He voiced those objections privately with colleagues at the agency."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BRENNAN_CIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-02-06-03-44-13

I see. He said nothing about his opposition to people in charge or to the American public, only (supposedly) in private. And the American public did not even hear about his alleged private opposition until Obama wanted to promote him.

Sounds very reminiscent of Hagel's repenting of his treatment of Hormel only after Obama nominated Hagel and both the Haman Rights Campaign and Log Cabin Republicans objected.

Same shit, different shameful issue.

[Enthusiast]

1. I'm glad that Brennan is now a "strong opponent".

Too bad the guilty will never have to answer for their Nazi-like behavior.

I love this. "Same shit, different shameful issue."

How appropriate!

[No Elephants]

2. If I were up for a Cabinet post, I might renounce some of my former conduct, too.

If it were getting in the way of my personal ambition.

Thing is, I don't think that would happen. I've had occasion in the business world where backpedaling would have been more useful to my personal ambition and I refrained.