Sunday, September 20, 2009

Defending Terrorists


Once again, President Obama has "shrugged off" knowledgeable and constructive criticism regarding his poorly qualified attorney general, Eric Holder, in Holder's continuing investigation to determine if captured terrorists were illegally tortured by CIA interrogators.

Seven former CIA directors, dating all the way back to the Nixon administration, sent a letter to President Obama emphatically stating that by continuing this foolish investigation into CIA interrogators who were following orders that were lawfully vetted by then-attorney general Alberto Gonzales will only serve to further weaken our intelligence agencies and give a propaganda victory to terrorist organizations bent on killing Americans. Those seven former CIA directors that President Obama has summarily ignored are Michael Hayden, Porter Goss, George Tenet, John Deutch, James Woolsey, William Webster and James Schlesinger.

Particularly of concern is the CIA's use of the technique known as water-boarding on terrorists. The waterboarding, it has been stated, was used literally a handful of times on the most incorrigible high-ranking terrorists. (i.e. Kalid Sheik Mohammed; mastermind of the 9/11 attacks). Further, because of the last-resort-use of this technique, KSM gave up invaluable information that undoubtedly saved many more American lives. When former VP Dick Cheney specifically stated this fact, the Obama administration patently denied this. Mr. Cheney thus asked them to declassify and release the redacted secret CIA transcripts of KSM's interrogation then if what they claimed was true. Of course, these documents have yet to be released. I can only assume that this is because Cheney spoke the truth and would prove that Obama lied...again.

This comes in line with Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi's, statements that the CIA lied and never briefed congress that this interrogation technique was approved and would be used only in a last resort scenario. Obama's current CIA Director , Leon Panetta, and various other members of congress vehemently dispute that congress was indeed told of this and that Pelosi herself was present at one of the briefings. Again, calls for the redacted transcripts to prove or disprove Pelosi's statements were false have not been released.

How is it possible that the 3rd highest member of our government all the way up to the president himself find it necessary to worry about and side with terrorists at the expense of our own federal agencies charged with trying to keep America safe by preventing future terrorist strikes? It is chillingly scary to think that future interrogators may be reluctant or even refuse to follow lawfully given and fully vetted orders in obtaining information from captured terrorists for fear of their own prosecution by the very government and people that they are trying to protect.

Once again, I have to wonder who the hecks side is our Democratic Congress and executive branch administration on in this war on terror. Oh, that is right... Obama has changed the phrasing from "war on terror" to something more like "man-caused catastrophe" or some such nonsense so that we won't offend our terrorist enemies further.

President Obama ran for office stating that it was his mission to restore America to greatness in the eyes of the world and that in doing so he would run an absolutely transparent administration to the people. Well to date, President Obama has gravely wounded our national security and made us look extremely weak and vulnerable in the eyes of the world. He has then seen fit to deny the release of documents that would prove these lies. So much for greatness and transparency!

President Obama, don't you think that you really should try to preserve and defend our nation and its Constitution, just like you had sworn to do upon your inauguration? I guess if we want a Democrat to defend our nation we have to go all the way back to Harry Truman...or maybe, arguably JFK. Regardless, it appears we are now unilaterally disarming in this war on terror in the meantime. I shudder to think how long before our enemies take advantage.

No comments: