Unleashing the CIA: Bush has done the right thing

Manchester Union Leader ^ | January 2, 2005 | Editorial

[billorites]

THE WASHINGTON Post on Friday reported the existence of a massive covert program within the CIA to catch, detain and interrogate terrorists worldwide.

Like President Bush's NSA program to eavesdrop on terror suspects without waiting for a warrant from the notoriously sluggish FISA court, the CIA program has drawn its share of short-sighted condemnation, as if 9/11 never happened.

Here is how the Post described the nation's ability to gather intelligence on terrorists nearly four and a half years ago: "The CIA faced the day after the 2001 attacks with few al Qaeda informants, a tiny paramilitary division and no interrogators, much less a system for transporting terrorism suspects and keeping them hidden for interrogation."

President Bush changed all that. He has, according to the Post, created the largest covert CIA program since World War II. And it has been highly successful.

"Indeed, the CIA, working with foreign counterparts, has been responsible for virtually all of the success the United States has had in capturing or killing al Qaeda leaders since Sept. 11, 2001," the Post reported.

Pardon us if we don't become outraged that the President of the United States transformed a weak CIA into an impressively effective tool for finding and defeating America's enemies.

The President is criticized for pushing the CIA's actions to the limits of the law. But just imagine if he weren't doing that. Imagine, say, President Kerry letting terrorists run free as he listened — hand on chin, brows furrowed — to lawyers quibbling over executive authority.

As with the NSA program, President Bush has decided that if he is going to err, he will err on the side of our nation's safety. Thank God the Oval Office is occupied by someone willing to do that.

[BlueAngel]

Good article bump!!!

[nuconvert]

"President Bush has decided that if he is going to err, he will err on the side of our nation's safety. Thank God the Oval Office is occupied by someone willing to do that."

Bump!

[Just mythoughts]

McCain's "anti-torture" amendment does deserve a second look, wonder WHO he was trying to protect? Who could it be under investigation for leaking classified intel? At least now with that amendment they won't be subjected to "torture".

[mtbopfuyn]

Sadly, many American citizens don't remember 9/11 ever happened.

[southernerwithanattitude]

All I can say is ------AMEN!

[CindyDawg]

So they should be able to track down these leakers.

[bayliving]

President Bush changed all that. He has, according to the Post, created the largest covert CIA program since World War II. And it has been highly successful.

Well duh.

I would expect nothing less.

What does suprise me is the willingness of polititians of the opposition party to out our national secrets and put the security of our nation and its citizens at risk just for the chance of regaining political power.

I mean, what good is ruining the president and regaining power if you can't exercise it because you are dead?

In my opinion (and it's JUST MY opinion) democrats are commiting acts of treason. And their actions remind me a lot of how the old Soviet Union political system was run. If I understand correctly, the Soviets were more interested in political party first, all else came second.

[johnny7]

“Imagine, say, President Kerry letting terrorists run free as he listened — hand on chin, brows furrowed”

Ha!

Yeah right... with Sandy Berger, Joe Wilson & Jim Hoagland whispering in his ear. Thank God it didn't happen.

[stephenjohnbanker]

BTTT

[golfisnr1]

Another leaker giving the Compost information.

[ClaireSolt]

A persistant thme is the insistance that lawyers must run everything. At $500/hour to quibble, parse and endlessly appeal we could all be dead and broke, if we agree to that proposition.

[FreedomNeocon]

Yeah, funny because EVEN THE DEMOCRATS admitted 911 happened because we were trying to prosecute with legal system and layers than fight a war.

You can probably even get audio quotes of those exact words by dems...

Yet they continue (and the MSM... just wait... push polls are next) to demand that we MUST do that now, and if not, then BUSH should be impeached.

WTF is up with that?

How can they be THAT stupid?

[stephenjohnbanker]

Most lawyers belong at the bottom of the ocean : )

[kenavi]

McCain's "anti-torture" amendment does deserve a second look, wonder WHO he was trying to protect? Who could it be under investigation for leaking classified intel? At least now with that amendment they won't be subjected to "torture".

Did the "anti-torture" law affect one iota what law enforcement in this country can do to suspected criminals?

[dogcaller]

DNC national security strategy memo:

In case of domestic attack-
Bush failed to connect the dots.

In absence of domestic attack-
Bush connected too many dots.

[El Gato]

Even worse, imagine if "The Tree" had been sitting in the Oval Office on 9-11-2001. The one eyed Mullah would still be running Afghanistan, women would still be being shot in the soccer stadium. Saddam and his sons would still be in charge at Abu Ghrab Prison, and rather than being humiliated, many would be subjected to real torture, rather than humiliation and panties on their heads.

Terrorists would still be training in camps in both countries, as well in Iran. They'd be sending even more here, and the Gorelick Wall would still be in place, so we'd not be catching many of them.

Many Americans now living would likely be dead. Many Malls, office buildings, hospitals and sports stadiums would be piles of rubble or burnt out shells.

Makes me feel even better about the "Get out of Cheney's House" chants of the winter of 2000-2001.

[Just mythoughts]

"Did the "anti-torture" law affect one iota what law enforcement in this country can do to suspected criminals?"

I do not know what McCain's law actually changed, but I am suspecting that there is more to McCain's law than originally appeared. Especially since it came out of nowhere after somebody did some big time leaking. Over a year + ago.

Now from what the President has said OBL's gang has been calling people that reside within the USA, now who would it be that would interrogate these individuals, citizens or not? Is there a connection to them and McCain's law? I do not know but seems a bit odd the fervor in which McCain pushed his law through, and totally ignored that tax increase that will go into effect Jan 1 for millions of Americans.

Further national security also includes energy security and McCain was not a happy camper to have ANWAR attached to anything like his law was.

[MNJohnnie]

It really is clear the difference these days. Conservatives are American Citizens FIRST, political Activists some where down the list. The Hysteric Leftist running today's Democrat Party are Political Activists 1st and some where WAY down the list remember they are American Citizens also.

[upchuck]

Excellent article. Thanks for posting ALL of it.