CIA denies Cheney request on interrogations
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/02/04/art.cheney.gi.jpg caption="Dick Cheney asked for classified CIA documents to be released."]WASHINGTON (CNN) - The CIA rejected former Vice President Dick Cheney's request to declassify records of abusive interrogations of suspected terrorists, a spokesman for the spy agency said Thursday.
In a written statement, CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano said the two documents Cheney requested are the subject of a pending lawsuit and cannot be declassified.
Cheney has said he wants the documents released so there can be a more "honest debate" on the Bush administration's approval of "alternative" interrogation techniques against suspected terrorists. He argued that those techniques provided valuable intelligence that saved American lives, but critics say they amounted to the illegal torture of prisoners in U.S. custody.
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At what point will Dick Cheney just go away? For the last 18 months of his term he was nowhere to be found. Even during his term he was was missing (albeit only a touch more than his boss who set the new record on vacation days taken).
It is interesting that now that the GOP needs a face, he is stepping in. They will never recover from their lack of popularity with Dick Cheney in the forefront of anything.
You repuglicans are crazy. You do realize that for you to attack Pelosi for having "known" all along that the US was torturing people, you have to admit that there was something "wrong" with it... However, since you say that it was simply "enhanced interrogation" and legal, then what does it matter whether she knew or not?
So, you can't have it both ways: either it was torture and illegal and she knew (so let's fire up those prosecutors for the decisionmakers (Cheney, Bush, Condi, Rummy, Scooter, et al. - Pelosi was merely briefed on it and couldn't stop it (you idiots forget she's not in the executive branch, so she can't command the CIA or FBI to do anything); or it was not torture and was legal and she knew and it doesn't matter. At most, she's guilty of not sounding the alarm. Regrettable perhaps, but not criminal.
"the two documents...are the subject of a pending lawsuit and cannot be declassified."
Why am I not surprised? Of course they are legally controversial! I will not be surprised at all when it is shown that they do not support Cheney's claims one bit.
Cheney et al. have conspired first to engage in illicit activities, then to deceive the American people about it, and now by talking openly about it to pass it off as a policy issue (not a legal issue) that has always been transparent. False.
Cheney belongs in prison, along with many other conspirators, for war crimes and for lying, for their own protection and gain, to the American public about these important important issues.
It's too bad that this website focuses primarily on the GOP. The party in power is the Democrats. I'm sure you could focus on Murtha ethics, Pelosi ethics, Obama's daily lie, etc. Instead you have a discussion about McCain's mom and Rush. Please don't turn into MSNBC.
Dick Cheney? I thought that was Mr. Potter from It's A Wonderful Life!
I suspect that Cheney is spending his time on this subject so we won't dig into anything else like haliburton, secret talks with the oil industry, oil industry links to the bin laden families, etc, etc, etc. Don't be blindsided.
You know, using a nuclear bomb to stop terrorists also works.
Does that mean we should use that option as well since it is effective?
Didn't think so. Count it!
Please CNN and corporate media, we dont want to see this evil man anymore. You do us a disservice every time he rears his ugly head.
the funny thing is once those records are public record, the media wont give it any coverage, and at that point, bush and cheney will be dead, and people will then appreciate what REAL leaders do for its citizens.
Protect you regardless of the American popularity contest !
My goodness, are there still some "Republicans" who support Cheney? I can't believe my eyes reading some of the pro-Cheney comments.My parents were Republicans as are many of my family... Cheney is not a real Republican.
...why argue the point now ?
it's not like we just now decided to discuss what constitute torture.
Why didn't he offer to have these documents declassified wheny he was in goverment ?
Darth Vader loves the sound of his own voice; always has, always will.
Too bad he continues to speak fluf and lies...
I see people on here saying that it's Obama's CIA. Well, I guess the same could be said about the last administration and that the CIA fed the American public false information.
Oh wait, I forgot you guys are hypocrites and that only applies to Democrats.
Boo to the yah!
...like I've lost a lotta sleep over waterboarding some "terrorlamist". If you talk to widows of 911, I doubt it's bothered them much either. Let's see, we waterboard and they behead their captives. I'd rather burn up some brain calories on something a little more important, like getting Americans back to work.
The only reason Obama has not released these memos so far is because they state exactly what VP Cheney says are in them.
The whole torture flap has been proven to be a partisan attack by this administration on the former administration to score points and also to deflect attention away from the vast amounts of deficit spending Obama is enacting.
The problem arose when it was learned that top Democrats knew of the waterboarding and signed off on it. It's hard to score points on the opposition when your own top people are guilty, too. Pelosi and her everchanging lies are starting to make this issue look like a real loser for Obama.
Tough. You tried to be tough like Kerry did in 2004 and are coming out of it with egg on your face, Obama. Serves you right.
LIP the past is the past. Why repeat it again? Your reasoning isn't sound or just. Kind of like two wrongs don't make it right. You sound like one of those Christians that we love to hate LOL. An eye for an eye and that entire BS you love to spout.
Dick, are you afraid of jail? Is that the reason why you go public? Let's see what weatherboarding does to you for just 15 minutes. Will you still defend it?
Ha! One for the Obama administration and 0 for Dick.
Bill Clinton's comment made me smile.