Did Bush Eat Popcorn While Watching the Torture Tapes?
By Larry Johnson on December 14, 2007 at 1:04 PM in Current Affairs
Have you watched the videotape of the torture of Abu Zubaydah? No. See how easy that is? The vast majority of folks reading this blog can answer that question succinctly. You do not have to parse. When presidents parse, they are hiding something.
So let me explain why I am certain that George W. Bush, and probably Dick Cheney, watched the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah and maybe that of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri.
Let’s begin with the White House smoke screen on this issue. When spokeswoman Dana Perino was asked the other day:
QUESTION: . . . On these CIA videotapes, did either the President or Vice President or Condoleezza Rice, when she was National Security Advisor, or Steve Hadley, see them before they were destroyed?
Perino offered this artful phrasing:
PERINO: I spoke to the President, and so I will have to defer on the others. But I spoke to the President this morning about this. He has no recollection of being made aware of the tapes or their destruction before yesterday. He was briefed by General Hayden yesterday morning.
No recollection of being made aware? Sorry, if he did not know anything about the tapes then the answer is very simple–Never heard of them, never saw them, and this is the first we have heard of this matter. No room for doubt with that answer.
I know from my time at the CIA how presidents and national security staffs react to intelligence on high priority matters. They are ravenous and they are constantly pushing for more info. I remember, for example, being tasked on an urgent basis to review and analyze Spanish language documents the CIA obtained from a Nicaraguan military defector that described the mutual concern of Soviet and Sandinista officials about U.S. supplied shoulder fired surface to air missiles that were downing helicopters in Nicaragua and Afghanistan. At the time, the war in Nicaragua was one of the top five policy priorities of the White House. And the White House was eager to know what the defector had to say.
So please answer these questions. In the summer of 2002 was terrorism and the threat of terrorism at least one of the top three policy priorities for the Bush Administration? Was the White House interested in any details about the capture or interrogation of Abu Zubaydah?
You know the answers–not only yes, but hell yes.
Take a look at page 241 of George Tenet’s account of where the White House stood on these matters. He wrote:
Detainees, in general, had become a critical issue. . . . Abu Zubaydah’s capture altered that equation. Now that we had an undoubted resource in our hands–the highest-ranking al-Qa’ida official captured to date–we opened discussions within the National Security Council as to how to handle him, since holding and interrogating large numbers of al-Qa’ida operatives had never been part of our plan. But Zubayda and a small number of other extremely highly placed terrorists potentially had information that might save thousands of lives. We wondered what we could legitimately do to get that information. . . .Out of those conversations came a decision that CIA would hold and interrogate a small number of HVDs (i.e., High Value Detainees).
So who is the “we”. When you are talking special interrogation techniques at a National Security Council meeting you are talking with George Bush, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, Condi Rice, George Tenet, and John Ashcroft at a minimum. The White House lead on the legal issues was handled by Harriet Miers and Alberto Gonzales. And we also know that John Yoo at the Department of Justice drafted the letters ultimately used to assure CIA that torture tactics were legal.
Tenet is quite precise in identifying August 2002 as the moment that CIA was given clear guidance from the White House and Department of Justice about the techniques and methods the CIA could employ against terrorist suspects (also p. 241 of his book).
The respective works of Jim Risen (State of War) and Ron Suskind (The One Percent Doctrine) provide a consistent portrait of George Bush as a president keenly interested in Abu Zubaydah. And George Tenet was just the man to feed Bush the information he so desperately wanted. Senior intelligence officers I know describe Tenet’s dealings with the White House as both obsequious and enthusiastic. He would dash to the White House like an excited puppy dog eager for a romp. He was not known as “Slam Dunk” George for nothing.
The ops cables detailing the results of the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah were not widely distributed. They most likely were kept in compartmented channels–in other words, just because you held a Top Secret clearance did not mean you were seeing the most sensitive information. If you have seen the latest exploits of Jason Bourne in the Bourne Ultimatum then you are familiar with “Blackbriar”. That’s an example of a compartmented program/reporting channel.
Although not widely distributed you can be sure that these messages made their way to the head of the Counter Terrorsim Center at the time, Cofer Black. His boss, Jim Pavitt also got the reports. And both George Tenet and his deputy, John McLaughlin, had the info as did the staff who put together the Presidential Daily Brief.
We are not talking about some third-rate piece of intelligence on a backwater of foreign policy. The terrorist threat posed by Al Qa’ida was a consuming priority, along with prepping for war with Iraq, and any information about that threat made its way to the Oval Office of the White House.
Ron Suskind quotes John McLaughlin talking knowingly about the methods employed on Zubaydah:
Imagine him (Zubaydah) sitting with a lawyer. That would be an utter cop-out. We would never know what we missed (see pp. 117-8, The One Percent Doctrine).
It remains to be seen whether or not the White House played a role in the CIA’s decision to destroy the videotape interrogations of Zubaydah and Nashiri. But this much is certain, Bush knew about the tapes and probably received a personal screening from none other than George Tenet. What did they snack on while watching Zubaydah hold his breath under water? That’s what I want to know.
You would know Larry better than any of us. Will be spreading this one around.
So would all of the above mentioned all be eating “popcorn” while watching these tapes?
A question for you. I think that if I were in one of these hot shot positions and was responsible for protecting the lives of multitudes of people. that it would be so terribly tempting to use what ever methods one thought would work to get information to “allegedly” save people’s lives. I honor you and all of the other intelligence officers who do not slide down the slippery slope.
How do you explain what is at the bottom of that slippery slope.
The slippery slope of rationalization. Once you decide that defending the homeland at all cost is good and right then anything goes. Just ask the Germans.
LJ
Kathleen, I like your comments very much. I know Larry Johnson (not saying you don’t), and I respect him very much. Knowing him as I do, he will never slide down any slippery slope. Larry is the BEST! I’m with you in honoring Larry.
Have been waiting for John Deans take on the tapes. You may have all ready read this but if not. Deans latest
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20071214.html
Kathleen:Thanks for all the links. After reading this artical, I would bet dollars to a ? that the NYT or WP has copies of the “tapes” and has chosen to sit on ‘em. If Sy says he seen them…some body has them…
And is it really a stretch to think that someone who blew up frogs as a kid would watch, and probably enjoy, taped torture of another human being?
(It’s often cited that harming animals as a child is a “leading indicator” of extreme antisocial behavior later in life.
Bush? Check.)
I suspect Little George watched in rapt attention, knowing that it was he himself who gave the order for the carefully metered doses of torment to be administered. I suspect his heart beat a little faster, and his palms got just a bit moist, as the excitement got the better of him.
I wonder if Laura was walking around with a bit more of a smile on her face the next morning? Or Condoleezza Rice, perhaps?
As for Cheney, well, when you’re the type of “person” to whom someone apologizes when you shoot them in the face with a shotgun, this is just kid stuff.
…..(It’s often cited that harming animals as a child is a “leading indicator” of extreme antisocial behavior later in life…..
It’s also an indicator of little dick syndrome.
Absolutely agree with you Centrocitta - Here is a short list of some of the “hobbies” of the aging 12 year old pResident of OUR White House when he was actually chronologically younger:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-slansky-/what-if-pete-stark-is-rig_b_69375.html
…or Jim (Jeff “Bulldog” Gannon) Guckert
Hell with watching the tapes. I still think if they still existed you’d see Cheney and/or Bush down there watching in person. Why would sadistic bastards like that settle for second hand viewpoints? Come to think of it, wouldn’t it be interesting to see if any of Cheney’s undisclosed location visits coincided with the timeframes for the torture sessions?
Is Vegas taking any odds on when they be out in the MSM?
If we follow Cheneys’s logic “everythnig leaks eventually”, we just have to give’m a reason to leak it. What honorable person is willing to get FUBAR’ed to make this happen?
Camera guy : what Is your favorite lense?
Pictures don’t lie people do.
Is this a Bush “parse”?
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/ss/events/pl/081201presidentbush#/071213/photos_ts/2007_12_12t180041_450
x311_us_bush_health_children
Parse?
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/ss/events/pl/081201presidentbush#/071211/photos_ts/2007_12_11t102419_450×30
0_us_english
I think this must be a “parse”
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/ss/events/pl/081201presidentbush#/071211/photos_ts/2007_12_11t102419_450×300_us_english
Larry,
First, I think it was ‘Blackbriar’. Not Blackbird.
Second, Would you write an article about how a CIA retired could afford an attorney like Bennett.
The folks commenting at TPM have their hair on fire. They’ve gone from racist remarks about Latinos and torture, to Rodriquez and CIA in general are drug runners, to the profits from filmmaking contracts are funding a mass insurance fund for CIA personnel.
It’s out of control. How do people like you and Plame and the others do it? This is awful the way you can get hung out to dry.
The lawyer thing is easy. CIA officers have the option of purchasing liability insurance to defray lawyer expenses. This emerged in the aftermath of Iran Contra.
Larry: How much have the rates gone up in the last seven years?
Thanks for the holiday cheer.
Sometimes, high level intel executives are represented by high-powered attorneys pro bono when the issue appears to be strictly a matter of judgement as oppose to an intentional crime. I’m not saying that I know for a fact that this is happening with Bennett, I just know that it has happened in the past.
I read that Bennett was “involved in another case that required the security clearance” he would need to defend Jose and this would only create a 2 week wait. What case might that be? It would sad if Jose had to take the 5th. He might be fishing for immunity for his client as well.
Sorry wrong links
parse
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/ss/events/pl/081201presidentbush#/071211/photos_ts/2007_12_11t102419_450×300_us_english
sample comment at tpm
ProDem wrote on December 14, 2007 1:58 PM:
Just a quick comment to hope4usa who said the follwoing:
“Many of these CIA officers put their life on the line for this country. They are no different than Valerie Plame and deserve your respect, they’ve earned it. These tapes were probably destroyed to protect lower level cia from the Hague when the real people who belong there are the Bush Cabal.”
Please DO NOT try and put Valerie Plame in the same catergory as Jose Rodriguez!! Valerie Plame is NOT NOW & NEVER was a criminal, nor did she engage in criminal activity!! Rodriquez knew he was breaking every law in the book!! He deserves to be prosecuted to the FULLEST extent of the law!!
And by the way save the “”Many of these CIA officers put their life on the line for this country” - for somone else!! For agents like Rodriquez that’s all bullshit
I don’t know the man, but I don’t think I would condemn Rodriquez before hearing what he has to say.
One becomes a NOC because the activities they engage in are usually illegal in those foreign countries in which they serve. Starting with entering said country under a false or fradulent passport, moving on to inducement to treason, theft of state secrets, etc etc. I believe one of the significant issues following the initial disclosure of her status and of her cover company Brewster-Jennings was how many of the people she interacted with in foreign nations were at risk from their own CIA/FBI/NSA equivalents.
Well, I happened to have served with Jose overseas. In that particular assignment, we were both authorized to carry firearms because we were both very much at risk. In fact, Jose was much more at risk than I was because of his particular assignment, which was very exposed to armed opponents. So anyone who says that Jose never put his life on the line in the service of his country simply doesn’t know what he is talking about. In fact, while we were on that assignment, one of our colleagues was killed, and now is a star on the wall.
Retired:
Authorized by whom? The local government or the USA government? Most people who break a country’s laws are at some risk. So I guess we will just have to assume you had a concealed carry permit from the local authorities.
We Answer To A Higher Authority.
Actually, in that case, you are correct, I did have a concealed carry permit issued by the national government of the host country, which was the level of government that issued such permits in that particular country. Thanks for your concern, though. And you are right, the people who were threatening our lives were breaking the laws of that country in several ways. Fortunately, we were able to convince them to forego the war and bloodshed route and participate in elections, and they picked up a fair number of seats and were able to influence their country’s policies in the direction that they wanted to see them go. Feel better?
Clarification is always valuable. Sad that one of your co-workers had to lose his life in a peaceful endeavour.
“Feel better?” Not certain what that pertains to, feelings might be useful at some tactical level or metreological level but rarely suffice for anything much beyond that. My feelings would be irrelevant anyway since I was not involved in the mission or in the evaluation of its outcome.
CK,
I am worried about you. This comment scares the heck out of me:
Normal people, who are able to CARE, have those pesky things called “feelings”. Psychopaths/Sociopaths do not!
Give me someone who can CONTROL their feelings any day they are in risky/dangerous situations, as opposed to someone who has none!
By the pricking in my thumbs, something evil this way comes.
By the feelings in my joints, I predict snow tomorrow night.
Other than that I think you missed the content of the thread and my polite answer to a throwaway, two-word retort from Retired.
CK: We Answer To A Higher Authority
Which One?
Even as a regular joe I can’t see going down to the “local” authorities for permission to carry what ever heat I thought required, no matter where I was. As Valerie stated in her book, they do train in the use firearms. Crap I used to carry a pocket rocket in the NYC tubes, and would rather go to jail than the grave, and a getting a permit was the last thing on my list of things to do.
NOC NOC Who’s there? A foreign agent, can I have a gun permit?
Pays your dime; takes your chances. Some steroid raged loon in a NYPD uniform decides you are a lawbreaker, what you going to do with that heat? Use it or get Louima’d in some broom closet in the local precinct?
Not suggesting that it is necessary for anyone to obey any arbitrary law TWK, mine was a question of clarification regarding a government employee’s responsibility to obey the laws of foreign countries. I am sure that the Mossad agents active in the USA all have fully authorized permits from DHS or some other FedGov agency.
In a “friendly country” sure…no arguement there…not always the case. In the case of the NY finest… I never gave them any grief. I have had to disarm a few idiots in the tubes and did not need to use deadly force. I was one of those folks minding thier own.
Larry asked,
My guess is that you’re close but not quite right: he was downing pretzels between shots of Jack.
I know, that was mean…
Larry, I’m sorry to say on this one I disagree 100%! Bush eats pretzels, not popcorn. Everyone knows that.
Yeah, get your act together, Johnson! You’re supposed to be the friggin’ analyst, here! Even support types know that it’s pretzels and beer!
Just noticed the Poll at right, LOL!
This reminds me of the old joke about why Canadians like to do it “doggie-style”.
Answer: So they can both watch the hockey game.
My only question is whether Dick gave Chimpy a reacharound as they watched the tapes.
It’s those unexpected laughs that are the best;-)
“He has no recollection…”
Treanslated it means that yes, I did watch them, but if I do recognize that, I will be hanged by the two raisins that I have for testicles.
Thanks for cutting through the bullshit, Larry.
This is nauseating, but makes an eery kind of sense.
Your commentary brings to mind a visit to the US cemetaries along the Omaha Beaches in Normandy, and the sound of wind moaning through the trees planted on the cliffs above those beaches. To think that American soldiers gave their lives to oppose Nazis who tortured, lied, and engaged in legalistic pretense to excuse their lawlessness is to shudder. BushCheney are an insult to the memories of those who came before us.
Do you really believe that the U.S. has not made a practice of torturing people before the current Bush regime? If so, I have some lovely oceanfront property in Baghdad that I know you will not want to pass up.
The main difference between the Bush regime and previous U.S. governments is the brazen and flagrant manner in which they operate.
Shirin, while what you say is correct from the perspective of viewing the U.S. as a country, I thought that you would like to know that during my career I worked with a unit that “untrained” foreign government military and other intelligence types from using torture. This proved to be a very difficult task, as the use of torture can be tremendously satisfying to the ego of some people, despite the fact that the interrogator isn’t getting any useful information (useful information supposedly being the real objective of interrogation in the first place). In my experience, the “ego high” of torture has a tendency to supplant the need/desire to get information in quite a few interrogators, it is a notable character flaw.
We ususally did this type of “untraining” under combat conditions. Some of the people that we tried to “untrain” were never able to break the ego high. But there were a few who, once they saw the results of our non-physical approach, really “got it” and adopted our program. The results that they achieved were incredible in some cases.
I wish that we could’ve been more successful with more people, but that was not to be the case. FYI, during the history of U.S. interrogation, we (that is to say, Americans) have had some notable successes in war by using interrogation programs that shun torture and use knowledge of the way that our enemies think and reason to get them to willingly cooperate and give us valuable information. Unfortunately, these have a tendency to be overshadowed by the idiots who like to beat people.
Yes,
But isn’t it a matter of degress - no I am not using “situational Ethics” here.
Example - someone slaps a hysterical person across the face to get their attention, not break their jaw. Is that ‘abuse’ or a quick way to cut through the hysteria? That is what I mean by degrees. What is the minimum “button” or action is needed to get a persons attention! Each individual has their own “fear” if you will - one of mine is nasty cockroaches.
As Ray McCgovern stated, everyone knows the sun rises in the East and no one in Congress feels a need to debate it. Everyone SHOULD know TORTURE is wrong and the scary part is those so called loons in Congress think an absolute FACT needs debate????
TORTURE IS WRONG - period - just a surely as the sun as rises in the East!
this is someone who loves to show off his saddam revolver — that he apparently keeps in the little closet just off the oval office.
yeah, he’s viewed the tapes (if he didn’t have a live feed while the torture was administered). just like he has his own personal collection of the abu ghraib dvds.
[…] agent Larry Johnson must have spewed the coffee out of his nose the other day when he this Dana Perino exchange with a […]
Jeesh. bu$hlerCo likes to tell about its “successes,” which’ve been really few and far between; they always sort of fall apart at the end so they have to keep making up new charges to continue persecuting whoever they’re holding. So where are the glorious tales of terrists caught using info obtained by torture? Sorry, secret.
It’s crap, there aren’t any.
As LHP said, “bu$h just makes shit up.”
bu$hler wasn’t hot on the trail of terrists for our national security’s sake; that’s never been one of his interests. He was sweeping them all up, buying them if necessary, to vacuum any info that would justify the invasion and continue the occupation of Iraq > Iran. Not unlike the telcos swooping up all info.
bu$h is a perv. He’s seen every dvd, tape, still, phone photo, of every heinous act he’s ever ordered up. “Feels good. Feels GOOD.”
And he was popping Junior Mints.
Perino: “He has no recollection of being made aware of the tapes or their destruction before yesterday.”
Artful phrasing?
I would call it a ‘tell’.
The best the white house can come up with is the most over used political rhetoric line of all time? Which means what? We’re supposed to believe that IF he was told, that it shocked and awed the president’s brain imto amnesia?
IN this case the white house would actually be better off if they just lied outright.
Don’t mean to hog the thread, nor clutter it with links, but this looks like support for your hypothesis:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/14/AR2007121401269_pf.html
If Bush and Cheney were innocent, the smartest thing they could do would be reveal all details. Instead, looks like their DenialAndFirewallMode is intensifying.
I am reasonably sure this isn’t sage or critical thinking, but do American’s become like the president in some way? Eager for change with some, but imitated during the time in office?
a good part of what we once may have thought were rational people, neighbors and such, have gone mad with this one. We have seen the most depraved ideas in the history of our country become conversation starters, with defenders? People happy to discuss the slaughter of the racially impure. Let’s look at a few.
the freedom of the press, not if owned by republican supporters, it doesn’t exist. period.
The legislature creates laws. Since when? lobbyists write the laws and pay for their passage
the president of the united states. I can’t go on with this one folks, sorry
then on down to those little things they forgot to include;
freedom of speech, not if you install justices that will deny it to adults and children alike as individuals, but grant it to businesses that use it to deceive and destroy
freedom to be secure in one’s person and dwelling, no, not any more or in any way. That one has been buried deep now. wasn’t just the new guy, but he got to put the nails in.
No person shall be held to answer for a capital crime… How many hundreds or thousands are still waiting? that’s secret.
speedy and public trial? that’s not going to happen by order of….
in suits and public trial, ask Valerie how somehow her job isn’t covered under the constitution
rights of states may exceed those of the federal republic, when? only if the federal government likes it?
the powers not asked for are granted to the people. seems we have that backward as well.
those are just the pesky first 10.
freedom of religion; not any more. it is christianity or nothing around here mister. once it wasn’t talked about because everyone knew we had several that were common, and why offend someone that wasn’t visibly inferior?
Add all that you can to this list. Maybe something will awaken the real patriotism of the people to protect what was theirs. I don’t know that I expect it, because half or more have all ready given their approval to take it all away. Something tells me they may not understand what they gave away but still defend their right to have done so, and break this vast misunderstanding that is democracy
General comment: One of the things I like about Larry, whether or not I agree with his position, it that he gets to the point. Perino’s comment, to me, says it all. If the answer were “no,” she would’ve said it. Since she served up a waffle that would make IHOP green with envy, we have to assume that not only is the answer yes, but when they discussed the question. everyone in the room knew it was yes.
I wonder when politicians are going to figure out that we common folk can figure this out?
Larry, as always, excellent post. and I know in my heart that he saw them. Your analysis of this, as the other topics you have written on is right on target. I haven’t commented on much lately, but just want to say a special thanks to you for all that you do. Not only here at NQ, but for those who can not speak for themselves.
The bush cabal never tell the truth. They are experts at lying out of both sides of their mouths… They tell the people what they want to hear. As OldTree said above, strange things are happening out there, and I’m not sure either how it will all pan out in the end. Somedays I see that small glimmer of hope, but so many times it seems that the good is so overpwered by the self centered, egotistical, demented actions of so many people. Bush Lies, Tortures, and Kills thousands, and people won’t even call him on it. Where is the justice???
Where is the OUTRAGE??? I agree with the poster above that said he probably watched on a live link… hell, I talk to my grandson over my old desktop… no fancy technology here. For Perino, to stand and say what she did, only convinces me more… the operative word is indeed : TELL, and the phrase is: Destruction of the Tapes. So, in essence, she is telling the ‘truth’ because she isn’t actually ‘telling a lie’…
Bush and all his minions should be impeached, dragged down the streets of Baghdad butt naked, and held in a hole until thier trial in the Hague. They are war criminals, war profiteers, and should be waterboarded under oath, until they tell us the information we need to hear to protect ‘us citizens’ of this Nation…
OT
Eating popcorn is what Der Shrub did with his other hand while watching torture tapes…
Mr. Johnson or anyone, can you answer me this question. When will, or if ever, will this administration be held accountable for any of the offences they have committed that is a crime…?????!!!!!
Probably never. It’s just too close to the election, and the politicians who might be in a position to hold members of the administration accountable need to focus on getting elected next year. Politically, they can’t afford a major impeachment effort. One could make the argument that the more junior, non-political, career employees of the U.S. government might begin to pay the price for their following of the current administration’s orders. There would appear to be little political loss at first glance in sending GS-12 interrogators to jail for several years. Even this has its blowback, however, because if you pursue this path, once your own party takes the presidency, who’s to say that the remaining GS-12s will now follow your orders?
I agree with my esteemed former colleague.
Yes, I agree that they are dragging their feet on the Impeachment because of the proximity to the election. But I think there are many other reasons as well. It is a shame that so much time seems to be spent on campaigning, when there is so much of the people’s business to rectify.
I think however, that I also agree with Wexler who says that Impeachment is now our responsibility. Forget the campaigns, and step up the pressure. Who knows, impeach Cheney, and Bush might do one honorable thing… resign.
I hadn’t ever given much thought to the position of the current GS-12’s, but there too, I think I would have to agree. I couldn’t wait until a couple of those GS -7 & 8’s were under my supervision… in the ‘old days’… I didn’t make life any easier on them as they came into shape… and many never got that far, because they were not respected, and could not ‘elicit cooperation’ from others.
Excellent points. As always.
My favorite fantasy: The Hague.
Project Censored: Hard Evidence of US Torturing Prisoners to Death Ignored by Corporate Media
As if by design, it seems Carla Del Ponte, The Hague prosecutor from Lugano, the Italian region of Switzerland, begins a new job in Buenos Aires, Argentina on January 1. She has arrested Bosnian war criminals as well as Mafia thugs and doesn’t seem to be afraid of anybody. I think it will be very nice to have Carla already in place in South America when the Bush criminals arrive there in 2009. Best of luck to Ms. Del Ponte.
Did Bush eat popcorn
Nope. He pleasured himself.
Larry, Susan: interesting nexus between Torture Tapes and a case that looks to be about to backfire onto Bushco here
How does the Assistant Attorney General for National Security Kenneth Wainstein fit in? He was not mentioned. Sorry,not much of a breeze here today.
[…] analyst Larry Johnson dares to publicly ask, Did Bush Eat Popcorn While Watching the Torture Tapes? This is a very scary article, more for its plausibility than for its audacity. There are rumors […]
TeakWoodKite, in the Jornada piece, it says that Wainstein declared this week that this “was a plot by agents of the Venezuelan government to manipulate a US citizen in Miami, with the goal of covering up a growing international scandal.” Wainstein is investigating the torture tapes. So, same guy is involved in a what looks like a politically-motivated (and incompetently planned) attack on Chavez and on discovering who torched the terror tapes. There is a strong odor of political hack/fixer over both.
Busy Guy. Almost as busy as U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy. Thanks
http://laempresaprivada.blogspot.com/2007/12/four-foreign-nationals-arrested-and.html
Wasn’t that about the same time Bush “choked on a pretzel”?
He probablysat down expecting to be thoroughly entertained from watching the waterboarding, so he took a bag of pretzels with him.
But, once the waterboarding began he became so sexually aroused he had an unanticipated orgasm, causing him to choke on the pretzels.
Mystery solved!
[…] klamamse på No Quarter, som absolut er værd at læse. Samme sted spørger værten Larry Johnson, hvordan det kan være, at Bush ikke bare kan sige “nej”, når han bliver spurgt, om han har set de famøse […]
[…] whether President Bush had actually seen the tapes. Larry Johnson says it’s highly likely that Bush viewed at least part of them. I’m with Larry on that. Then four senior lawyers at the White House were involved with the […]