President Obama made an extraordinary appearance at CIA headquarters on Monday to explain why he ordered the release of secret CIA memos, which outline the Bush administration’s legal justification for “torturing” terror suspects:
I acted primarily because of the exceptional circumstances that surrounded these memos, particularly the fact that so much of the information was public.
He added that the exceptional circumstances included the fact that an ongoing court case would have eventually required him to release the memos and that much of the CIA interrogation methods and techniques they contain (e.g. on the much debated waterboarding) had already been compromised (e.g. now accessible by a simple Google search).
But frankly, these reasons hardly seem compelling enough for Obama to have ordered their release. After all, his own CIA Director, Leon Panetta (L), joined former CIA chiefs in warning that:
[notwithstanding the exceptional circumstances] revealing the limits of interrogation techniques will hamper the effectiveness of CIA interrogators.
Not to mention that Obama could have challenged any court order in this respect by asserting executive privilege, which, even if not successful, would have at least shown (allies and terrorists alike) that he has due regard for the covert nature of intelligence gathering.
Instead, it seems that, just as political pressure forced former President Bill Clinton to defy his military advisers to allow gays to serve in the military (under his “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy), similar pressure has now forced Obama to defy his intelligence advisers to release these memos.
Because conspicuously absent from his explanation was any reference to a growing number of influential supporters (led by MoveOn.org) who were demanding not only their release (citing government transparency) but also the prosecution of Bush administration officials who ordered these memos (citing respect for the rule of law). And it seems clear that none of those making these demands will ever believe national security has been compromised … unless (or until) we are hit by another terrorist attack.
That said, I agree with critics who assert that Obama’s presidency is now doomed if terrorists pull off another 9/11-style attack. Especially since this would stand in damning contrast to one of the only redeeming features of Bush’s purportedly failed presidency, namely, that he protected the American people from such an attack.
However, this does not excuse the perverse pining by people like former VP Dick Cheney for another al-Qaeda attack to vindicate all of the Bush administration’s war on terror policies and (mis)deeds.
Moreover, I think Obama should have heeded the advice of his CIA chief. Not least because it is inherently oxymoronic to demand transparency from the CIA in these circumstances — as if it is no different from demanding transparency from the Treasury Department about the methods being used to bailout big corporations.
Besides, nothing demonstrates how much he’s caving under political pressure quite like his dithering over whether or not to prosecute Bush Administration officials, including Condoleezza Rice, VP Cheney and even the former president himself, for giving the CIA a green light on interrogations that, he insists, betrayed American values. In fact, it was a profile in cowardice for Obama to delegate this decision to his attorney general.
I’m sure the congenitally pragmatic Obama will have a moderating influence on Congressional Democrats, which will prevent them from pursuing a radical, left-wing agenda that could undermine his presidency.
[Conviction of Stevens a bad omen for Republicans, The iPINIONS Journal, October 28, 2008]
In any case, despite all of the gnashing of teeth over criminal investigations, congressional hearings and independent truth commissions, I am certain that no Bush administration official will ever be prosecuted. After all, betraying American values (as partisan Democrats define them) does not constitute breaking American laws. Not to mention the hornet’s nest this will disrupt, which would end up stinging as many Democrats as Republicans.
Meanwhile, until Obama leads the country through seven years without another terrorist attack, I am going to accept President Bush’s word that the “enhanced” interrogation methods and techniques he approved were absolutely indispensable in foiling numerous attacks and saving thousands of American lives. The proof is in the pudding….
And frankly, I don’t give a damn if, by some subjective application of international law, those methods and techniques amount to torture. It certainly beats the alternative!
Related commentaries:
What’s wrong with waterboarding…
Obama taps Panetta to head CIA … that’s inspired!
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