Trying to save her nomination as the next director of the CIA, Gina Haspel is reportedly planning to promise Congress in her opening statement that she will not restart the CIA’s program of detention at black sites and interrogation through the use of torture.
This is important, because former CIA officials say that Haspel was in charge of running the interrogation and torture program of detainees. Though some current CIA officials have claimed her role in the torture was overstated, it has fueled considerable opposition to her nomination.
109 top former US military leaders, including former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Henry Hugh Shelton, have signed a letter expressing opposition to Haspel’s nomination. In particular, they faulted her excuse of “just following orders” as not an excuse for torture and unlawful abuse.
Many of the specifics of Haspel’s torture record have been kept a secret, beyond her being in a position to run the torture program. This has allowed the CIA to try to offer a skewed narrative of who she is, and how her directorship might work.
While officials hope Haspel’s promise not to restart torture programs will silence the opposition, it’s not clear it will. In particular, President Trump’s on-again, off-again support for torture makes putting a documented torturer in such a position potentially dangerous to policy decisions in the future, promises notwithstanding.
She promises with cherry on top.
…. Oh, thaaat kind of torture…
It’s not ‘torture’, remember? It’s ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ now.
She couldn’t be more wrong. Just looking at her photo is pure torture.
I have zero faith in the morality of those who are in Congress…she will be confirmed. If the American people continue to elect people who believe in sh!t like this, then, it seems to me it’s who we are.
Hey, first woman CIA director.
Focus on the, uh, positive.
Then she should be treated just like that other “first” woman was in Nov 2016…relegated to the trash heap of history.
Electing important government positions like CIA director is an interesting idea and not without merit, although such elections should not preclude dissolving major agencies hostile to the Republic.
Jeez, maybe someone up for murder can promise never to murder again if set free.
I think they do that anyway for early parole.
That is what SHE should be waiting for. Along with so many others.
… waiting for, sure, receiving, welll….
Ms. Haspel could be telling the truth.
A bunch of mind control docs was accidentally released during a FOIA request. Maybe they’ve got other means now and don’t need black site detentions for torture and interrogation.
“Government Accidentally Releases Documents On Remote Mind-Control” – Tyler Durden, Apr. 23, 2018, ZeroHedge. com
Progress.
promise to not resume? WHAT? They stopped it but didn’t tell anybody? Next thing you know they’ll surprise us by revealing Guantanamo has been abandoned for the past 30 years and they didn’t tell anybody…
“Everyone’s a millionaire where promises are concerned.” – Ovid, roman poet
She is amazingly qualified for the job. The advert should read: only those with torture experience need apply.-DV
Not to “resume.”
Does that mean the CIA never stopped?
Does that only mean that she will be more careful to destroy any evidence before it becomes known?
Ohhh, it means “trust us” and we won’t do it again, and again, and again, like we did for so long so many times before. Well sure, what’s not to trust?